“The historical mission of West Africa to a large extent consists in taking advantage of the facilities history has given it; to lose no time in becoming a powerful federated state, capable of freeing the rest of the continent by force if need be, rather than continuing indefinitely in weakness, divisiveness and with the declamatory promises of opportunistic patriots”

-

Cheikh Anta Diop - Black Africa

The region of West Africa, holds within its bounds, one of the richest histories of human civilization the world has ever known, and yet today, it is largely ignored in public school history lessons, hidden in the colonial museums of Europe and distorted in the global public eye by the western dis-information media apparatus and the sensualist entertainment industries.

But times can change and truth has a way of revealing itself through certain individuals or political organizations and via the events that take place around them. Sovereignty is the word for our time. We are currently living out a seriously dramatic period of historical events, where every civilization the world ever produced is being challenged on their authority over their region and their people. Cultural loyalty, tested like never before and it will likely decide the new balance between all nations on Earth. New alliances forged, New international organizations to lean on and New confederations seeking continental unity. The story unfolds in a four part series starting with the glorious past of West Africa.

The Past but not forgotten Glory - The Ghana, Mali and Songhai Empires

The Ghana Empire

The Ghana Empire (Wagadu) has been first recorded in history as far back as the 4th century A.D. Already by the 8th century, this vast empire had come into contact with the also newly born Islamic and Arabic world, which was living through a Golden Renaissance at the time and witnessed a plethora of traders caravanning from the Arabian desert to the Sahara. It and the other Empires that preceded and absorbed it, are all historically recorded in the writings of the great Persian mathematician, Al-Khwarizmi, the legendary Arab-Andalusian geographer from Huelva, Spain, Al-Bakri (1040–1094), the equally immortal Tunisian historian, Ibn Khaldun (1332–1406) and the dynamic Songhai duo of Abd al-Rahman al-Sa’di (1594-1655) and Mahmoud Al-Kati (1498-1593) in their Ta’rikh Al-Sudan and Ta’rikh Al Fattash writings. They were all pivotal in describing and immortalizing the ancient civilizations in writing and all three were born somewhere within the Golden Islamic Renaissance as either Persian, Arab or Andalusian scholars writing on history, geography and many other subjects. While Al-Bakri is renowned for compiling geographical knowledge and firsthand experiences of the Maghreb and West Africa, Ibn Khaldun revolutionized historiography by introducing sociological and economic analysis (social cohesion or Asabiyya) to understand the rise and fall of civilizations. He analyzed the Ghana Empire within this frame and his book - Kitab al-Ibar (Book of Lessons) is a thorough description on having achieved a vast and highly developed civilization and the essential source for much of Cheikh Anta Diop’s timeless book - Precolonial Black Africa.

Trade, commerce, military, art, education, transportation and so on were all actively developing and the population; estimated to have numbered anywhere between 2-3 million residents at its peak, while the empire covered over 250,000 square miles (650,000 km²), were already living at a higher standard than their counterparts in Europe. Europeans during the same period of history were living through what was termed as the Dark Ages or the Middle ages and had a dispersed continental population of some 30-40 million that after the fall of the Holy Roman Empire, had little central authority until the reign of Charlemagne. The capital of the Ghana Empire, Kumbi Saleh is said to have reached a peak population of around 50,000 people, while during the same time period, London, had some 15,000 inhabitants.

The Ghana Empire needed such an Army, for after a long period of relative peace in the region; external conflicts with foreign powers and regional vassals, began to increase in number and veracity. The empire would survive numerous attacks, such as the ten year long war, committed by the Almoravids that started in 1076, and ended in 1087. But after the death of the Almoravids long time leader and famous founder of the city of Marrakesh, Abu Bakr ibn Umar, that war dramatically ended. Thereafter more attacks came in the form of the empire’s Sosso vassals, but it wasn’t until the emergence of the legendary Sundiata Keita (The founder of the Mali empire and also the great-uncle of the legendary Malian ruler Mansa Musa), that the Ghana Empire’s capital was finally laid siege to in 1240, and was thereafter absorbed into the newly founded Mali Empire.

The Mali Empire

The Mali Empire stretched far across West Africa; from Gao (Kaoga) on the Niger river, all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, and from the Sahara to the southern tropical forests, in what is today known as the coastal states of Ghana and the Ivory Coast. (Ghana of course, received its modern name from the leading pan-African president - Kwame Nkrumah, for the sake of its ancient roots to a glorious past.)

Mali was similar to its former empire in many ways; from its Pharaonic nomes based political organization to the general cosmopolitan aspects of its cities and people. Foreigners were welcomed from any part of the world given that their intentions carried humanist tendencies, Arab and Andalusian quarters were present in its cities and a variety of languages would have been heard in the many markets that flowed with salt and gold.

Mansa Musa is the most renowned Emperor of this empire and has made the rounds on the internet in recent years due to his sheer wealth and some of the stories that accompany his legend. His pilgrimage to Mecca, noted above, carried so much wealth in gold that legend says it devalued the Egyptian currency and caused a massive increase in the price of goods. Of course, the good emperor gave much gold to the poor and his intentions were honest but the effects were chaotic; the slump in economy is said to have lasted some 12 years in Cairo and even though attempts to salvage the situation were made on his return to Mali, it simply signifies the sheer scale of wealth that this empire held within its bounds. Mansa Musa is also claimed to have been the richest individual ever in history and this accompanies the fact that at the time, the Mali empire produced an enormous two thirds or more of the world’s entire gold production; hence it is not hard to believe this legend of a story and man.

Such was the power of the empire that even the great writer, Ibn Khaldun called on his friend and emperor, Mansa Musa, for military aid when fighting with the Arabo-Berber tribes of Uargla, a region in the North Sahara desert. The Sultan of Morocco is another very impressed dignitary in the region when asked to comment on the scale of Moroccan embassy in Mali;

Mansa Musa is probably most famously known for his great voyage to the Americas. In an article written in 1968 by the late Professor Mohammed Hamidullah, we have a most fascinating report to indulge in:

The most interesting report is the following recorded by Ibn Fadlullah al-Umari (d. 1348), whose encyclopedia Masalik Al-Absar is only partly edited as yet; its French translation by Gaudefroy-Demombynes says:

“In the North of Mali there live white Berbers under their ruler. Their tribes are Antasar, Yantar’aras, Meddusa and Lemtuna … I asked their ruler Sultan Musa Ibn Amir Hajib (the Arabic name for Mansa Musa):

“How had you become ruler?”

He replied: “We belong to a family where the son succeeds the father in power.

The ruler who preceded me did not believe that it was impossible to reach the extremity of the ocean that encircles the earth (meaning Atlantic), and wanted to reach to that (end) and obstinately persisted in the design. So he equipped two hundred boats full of men, as many others full of gold, water and victuals sufficient enough for several years. He ordered the chief (admiral) not to return until they had reached the extremity of the ocean, or if they had exhausted the provisions and the water.

They set out. Their absence extended over a long period, and, at last, only one boat returned. On our questioning, the captain said:

‘Prince, we have navigated for a long time, until we saw in the midst of the ocean as if a big river was flowing violently. My boat was the last one; others were ahead of me. As soon as any of them reached this place, it drowned in the whirlpool and never came out. I sailed backwards to escape this current.’ But the Sultan would not believe him. He ordered two thousand boats to be equipped for him and for his men, and one thousand more for water and victuals. Then he conferred on me the regency during his absence, and departed with his men on the ocean trip, never to return nor to give a sign of life.”

A possible explanation of this behavior: apparently the ruler probably did not want the news of the discovery of America to reach his rivals. So he caused the captain to tell discouraging things in public, and real facts in private. And for this reason, he prepared a military expedition of several thousand men, and most probably settled in the place he captured.

The river in the ocean where the boats sank may have been the Amazon. In this case, the black soldiers and some of the white Berbers of the first and the second expedition must be the ancestors of the black population which Columbus encountered in his voyage and recorded in his journal. He says he saw there tribes of black skin and of red skin fighting with each other. Most probably they (the Berbers) reached Brazil, the nearest point from West Africa.

Another significant fact is what the son of Christopher Columbus records. He says that his father learned in Genoa from Muslim shipmen that visited that place that it was possible to reach India by sailing west of the European continent as by sailing eastwards.

Philologists have discovered in Red-Indian languages words of Arabic origin, from pre-Columbian days. Columbus found on the coast of Cuba dogs that do not bark. This is a West-African race of dogs.

- “Muslim Discovery of America before Columbus”, Journal of the Muslim Students’ Association of the United States and Canada vol. 4, issue 2, Winter 1968, pp. 7-9.

- Professor Mohammed Hamidullah

The above text explicitly describes the extraordinary vision of Mansa Musa and it is of significant value to the culture of the times too. The Empire of Mali was clearly a civilization focused on new discoveries and seeking out new relationships with others in a relatively civilized manner rather than a conquistador conquering fashion. Its empire was vast and its communications stretched farther than the desert in their dialogue with other golden civilizations of the time. From India to the Americas, the influence of the Golden African Empires and the Golden Islamic Renaissance, is an essential part of universal history and represented by a sea of historical documents

The Songhai Empire

Finally we end this ancient tale with an empire known as the Songhai Empire. This final period of Africa’s pre-colonial civilizational journey, saw a continued elevation of the society and culture before a gradual downfall. As we move towards the late 1500’s, the division of these empires and the lack of unity in the ruling families made way for a new and particularly dark period of history, the commencement of the savage and barbaric colonization period, known as the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. This historical event of astounding significance for the world, has just recently on March 25, 2026, witnessed the UN General Assembly adopt a historic resolution declaring the transatlantic trade of enslaved Africans as the “gravest crime against humanity”.

The Songhai Empire was located between the east of the Niger river and the Atlantic ocean, an area that today includes parts of Mauritania, Mali, Senegal, Algeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Guinea, Gambia and Guinea Bissau. This shows the significant scope of the area governed and had been built upon from the previous empires of Ghana and Mali. The Songhai naturally absorbed the Mali empire as the former power began to slide into a leaderless state with political coups and instability, while former vassalized regions such as the Mossi state began to challenge the empire’s power. Timbuktu, the cultural capital at the time, was lost in a major battle to the Tuareg people, who thereafter governed the city for a considerable 34 years (1434-68) before the fast growing and developing Songhai empire arrived under its first great leader, Sunni Ali (Ali Ber). Without any conflict, Ali the great (As he was also known) simply rode into Timbuktu and saved its people from the tyrannical rule of the Tuareg who had left the city in ruin rather than having a policy of development for its inhabitants. It was in fact the Tibuktu-Koi (A kind of administrative ruler, much like a technocrat in today’s world) who had begged for Sunni Ali to invade the city to free its inhabitants

.Reigning from the Songhai’s capital city of Kaoga on the Niger river or better known as Gao; Sunni Ali grew the empire through incorporating various vassal states under the Songhai’s rule and establishing a major army in each vassal that primarily served the interests of the great state. The state of Bara, the Senhajia-Nu Berber country governed by Queen Bikun-Kabi was conquered as well as Kuntaland and the Berber people were entirely absorbed into the Songhai empire. Each tribal chief was made into a Koi who served the ruler of the time.

The next ruler to inherit such a vast and established empire was gifted with a wiser soul and his name was Askia Mohammed I of the Askia dynasty, he was the Lieutenant of Sunni Ali, who took power from the son of Sunni Ali - Sunni Baru or Bekr Dau, due to his lack of faith and practice in Islam was the proxy reason and yet does hold some legitimacy but in the Songhai hierarchy anyone of any class could rise to such a position. This unique aspect of African rule is most likely derived from the Kharejjite sect of Islam and its refusal to recognize any supreme authority for all Islam. There is no pope so to speak or Caliph who has unquestionable authority, in fact, any believer such as the believer prince himself - Askia Mohammed I found out, can be elevated to the role of king so long as they possess the required skills and qualities of character. The preceding king, Sonni Ali, also belonged to this sect of Islam, adding fuel to that fire.

And so it is the great Askia Mohammed I (simply a lieutenant to Sunni Ali) who at the experienced age of 50 years, claimed the rule of the Songhai empire as Islamic law allowed and thereafter ruled for a magnificent 35 years, until he was 85 years old. The record shows that the Askia was a far wiser ruler than his predecessor in his approach to absorbing other regions and peoples and his adherence to the virtuous laws embedded in the Quran.

Al-Sa’di, the chronicler who wrote the Tarikh al-Sudan, compared Askiya’s army to that of his predecessor as being more virtuous in general warfare:

While Mansa Musa of the Mali Empire was renowned for his sheer scale of wealth, Askia Mohammed I of the Songhai empire was renowned for the use of that absorbed wealth for a much greater endeavor; universal humanist development. The Askia built religious schools for education, opened mosques for faith and unity of culture and opened the court up to scholars, astronomers, poets and musicians from all parts of the Islamic world. The Askia was surrounded by a worldly intelligentsia and this led to an increase in scientific activity such as astronomy, alongside an increase in Islam being accepted as the universal faith to follow. Though the Askia practiced his faith strictly and encouraged his people to practice too, he did not force it upon them. Practice was encouraged, merely because it helped unify the people and increased modes of discipline that are useful for all kinds of social and scientific development. This structure also safeguarded the empire from falling into a feudal state with feudalist tendencies towards its people, much like Europe prior. Islam provided the bedrock for a strict administrative structure that succeeded in stopping and secessionist maneuvers from within. What came from the Askia, ended with the Askia too and his rule though compassionate was absolute across the empire.

Governors in far out regions didn’t dare act above their rank for they were instantly dismissible and yet many served out their stations for decades as their regions were well taken care of and well governed by the Askia

Conclusions

And so to conclude this short article for such an extraordinary history of 1250 years, we have some honest and true comparisons to draw. First and foremost to mention, is that Sub-Saharan Black Africa has an unbroken historic chain of indigenous civilizational humanistic development right up until the 1600’s and it is there where that spiritual chain breaks; not of Africa’s fault but rather due to a world shifting forced migratory event, the likes of which the world had never seen before and this history we will further unfold in part two.

But before that some further comparisons to be made. During the same time period mentioned above, we witnessed a Europe often ruled by feudalism and showing very little progress for it, although with exceptions to be made. Between the 7th century - 9th century, Europe had been supremely successful under Carolingian and Charlemagne’s rule and had begun unifying the Gallo-Roman cultural-political elements with the vassalized barbarians of the 4th century period into a Holy Roman empire or Carolingian empire, that in fact, sparked what is known as the Carolingian renaissance. This was Europe’s first major historic example of a large humanist state seeking to lift the universal standard of living across the continent for every human soul and to reach out to others in peaceful diplomacy, such as the Abbasid-Carolingian Alliance forged with the immortal ruler of the Abbasid Caliphate, Harun Al Rashid.

But thereafter, Europe once again divided and plunged into wars, famines and general ruin for the majority of the people living there. It led to a small continent severely lacking in security and always fearful of an external attack from foreign forces, an interesting psychological aspect to note, due to its etching onto the mind of the European masses for time immemorial. Throughout the Middle Ages, Europe experienced significant events that were never witnessed in Sub-Saharan or Black Africa as Mr. Diop calls it.

The Norse invasions of the 10th century from the Normans of the North, the Saracens of the South and the Magyars of the East. Due to the incessant infighting of the Grandsons, the lack of central unity after Charlemagne and his Son, Louis the Pious, his death and the constant attacks on the periphery of the empire from such forces mentioned above, the empire began to wilt and the people living in unsecured regions sought more protection from their local lords than any central governing authority or King. This led to a situation where central authority had lost control of the periphery and had to resort to giving lords of peripheral states more power over decision making. Already the Carolingian Empire had been broken into three warring states but now those three states were breaking apart too, due to more political maneuvering by powerful landowners and lords. This led the way to decentralization of state and feudal rule filled its space out of desperation from the people suffering the attacks. It led to a survivalist philosophy, having previously been led by a humanist philosophy.

Sub-Saharan Africa never fell into a survivalist trap such as the Europeans under feudal rule with select lords who took large amounts of land via the despoiling of their constituents. The Sahara desert, acting as a natural defensive wall for the Empires to develop in peace certainly helped.

Efforts to conquer Black Africa are accurately recorded throughout history and due to the Desert Wall of the Sahara there are not many accounts to draw from. Singular accounts that do exist are the Umayyad Caliphate incursions of the 8th century, the Moroccan invasion of the 16th century and the British invasion via the Nile in the 19th Century. There was never any Arab conquest along the eastern coast of Africa, Arabs that did arrive there became great religious leaders and settled in peacefully with the local populace. This is evident in the history along the coastland of eastern Africa, for no further forays into the deep savannah regions of central Africa were ever made by the Arab and Islamic visitors.

The fact of the matter for feudal land ownership is that for African Kings and Queens, land was never considered a true royal possession. Land possession never came hand in hand with political power and this is because religious powers were opposed to this assumptive structure. Slave ownership was allowed and acceptable and the Sovereign was aware that they ruled over everything within the empire’s space but land ownership was never assumed to be part of that equation.

And so we have four strong reasons as to why African feudalism never arose in Africa like European feudalism arose from Europe and those are down to A. the religious nature and notions protecting from internal corruption and an adhering to the constitution by all the people, B. an Islamized structure that led to strict administrative system that served both the ruler and its people and meant that when a new ruler arrived, order was maintained, C. Lack of foreign barbarian invasions and finally D. No assumptive landownership structure for monarchs or lords.

It is due to this glorious history and unbroken course of civilizational development from one indigenous empire to another that has ensured that between the third and seventeenth centuries, Africa remained unconquerable. And then it all changed.

Stay tuned for part two: From Precolonial Black Africa of 1600 to the Divide and Conquer of 1896…

And so this class seeks to inspire change in the mind and to challenge stereotypes and preconceived assumptions, that most will find have been built, layer upon layer over decades, through cave-wall plastered propaganda. Ethiopia is a nation that has received a heavy dose of that information war starting with Bob Geldof’s Band-Aid “Do They Know its Christmas” tune, that apparently rocked the masses into some major level show of compassion. That Major-Level Show of Compassion, for that’s truly all it was, amounted to a poxy $180 million USD, that was charitably raised from ordinary peoples hard earning pockets, for the 1984-85 famine in Ethiopia that essentially did very little to increase the economic activity of the nation; the only real driver of poverty reduction! The U.K Government of the time only managed to fork out little over 70 million pounds, less than the men and women on the street could afford and lets not forget to mention that the U.K gov’s very own left-wing hero propaganda outlet - The Guardian, reported on this in just 2010 -

The BBC is standing by a report that claims that 95% of the $100m aid raised to fight famine in northern Ethiopia in 1985 was diverted by rebels and spent on weapons, despite denials by Bob Geldof and leading charities.

In the programme, two former members of the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front, Aregawi Berhe and Gebremedhin Araya, said the group had relied on the aid money to fund its campaign against the then ruling military junta. Berhe, a former TPLF commander, told Plaut that in 1985, only 5% of the $100m raised by charities ended up with the victims of the famine.

Then another alternative publication (SPIN) broke the full story, of which i will simply leave the entire link below, for it is a well worth the time read!

https://www.spin.com/2015/07/live-aid-the-terrible-truth-ethiopia-bob-geldof-feature/

Lets contrast the above, with the Confucian intervention that China had begun to choreograph in the year of the second millennium with the arrival of the FOCAC forum for China-Africa development of relations and thereafter the arrival of Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road initiative, announced in Astana, Kazakhstan in 2013.

China has invested heavily in Ethiopia since 2000, with cumulative loan commitments exceeding $13.7 billion to $14.5 billion by 2018–2020, primarily financing infrastructure projects like railways and roads. Recent data shows over 3,300 Chinese projects (both FDI and loans) in Ethiopia, with over $8.5 billion invested in recent years.

Key details regarding China’s investment in Ethiopia:

• Total Financial Engagement: Between 2000 and 2018, China lent at least $13.7 billion to Ethiopia, with some estimates reaching up to $14.5 billion.

• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI): As of 2023, the cumulative stock of direct investment from China in Ethiopia was US$3.55 billion, with 2023 annual flows at US$138 million.

• Key Projects & Sectors: Major investments include the Ethiopia-Djibouti Railway, the Dongfang Industrial Park, manufacturing, energy, and telecommunications.

• Industrial Impact: More than 1,350 Chinese enterprises have invested in Ethiopia, accounting for 25% of total FDI in the country.

China has been the most consistent and leading source of FDI for Ethiopia. They almost account for nearly 50% of the country’s total FDI inflow in recent years.

Lets say no more and let the class do the rest of the talking, if you enjoy, please share far and wide!

One need only look at a few important metrics to realize a somewhat clear vision of the future, both near and far, for natural law has governable principles embedded at its core and these principles/laws essentially act as arbiters of the reality that we live in. They give us the best of all possible worlds reality, the time that is now, the present moment, a moment created by an extraordinary past that heralds unto an even greater future. It is not to say that one knows when these universal laws will ultimately rebirth the standard of governance on our planet, just that it will happen eventually because it is the only truly progressive and open way forward. It is the path of least resistance and all the other nations are in accordance with it, only the hegemon is not. All other false options have been totally exhausted by the hegemon now, as is the necessary nature of empirical entities throughout universal history…

The new universal standard for governance of the new paradigm that is emanating from China goes by this name - The Global Governance Initiative (GGI) and was just recently announced to the world in September 2025 at the SCO!

The Apollonian Standard

According to western media and the ivory tower institutions, such as the Economist, the Financial Times, the World Bank Group and individuals like the currently “popular” economic commentator - Jeffrey Sachs, who just to mention, is doing a face-saving walk back of the ages, from waxing lyrical about Free market/Laissez-Faire intervention in the 90’s, to now rocking up as an “expert” on how China became the worlds largest industrially productive economy and the worlds largest trading partner in just 30 years. If only we could laugh through a keyboard Mr. Sachs.

We find that poor economic policies have played an especially important role in the slow growth, most importantly Africa’s lack of openness to international markets.

To summarise, Africa has performed worse than other developing countries on the following economic policy variables: openness to international trade, average annual inflation (money-printing), and national saving rates.

There is now considerable international evidence that poorer developing countries that followed market-orientated policies in the past 30 years did indeed grow faster and thus catch up with the richer countries.

And what countries was he talking about at the time - Hong Kong, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. I’ll just say the quiet part out loud. All of these nations did not simply develop because of free-market policies but rather because of state intervention on an industrial scale. They lifted the standard of living for their people by increasing the value addition to raw resource extraction. Not simply by allowing corporations from already rich countries to come in and privatise every resource and industrial operation, the way Russia experienced in the very same decade due to Sach’s advised policies…

They also have China to thank since the 80’s onward -

• Since 1980: China has maintained a high average annual GDP growth rate, reaching 10% between 1978 and 2000 and averaging 9.91% between 1979 and 2010.

• Between 1980-1991, the average annual growth rate for real GDP in the Asia-Pacific region was 5.5%, compared to a world average of 3%.

• 1990-1994: High growth rates, reaching around 6-7% average annually.

• 1995-1999: The period was severely impacted by the Asian Financial Crisis (Western orchestrated), with average GDP growth dropping to approximately 3.5%.

• 2000-2004: Growth rebounded to an average of 5.1%, (China picks up where it left off).

• 2005-2009: Average GDP growth was 4.9%.

• 2008-2010: Despite the Global Financial Crisis, ASEAN’s average growth was a relatively strong average of 4.7% for the entire period. Imagine what it could have been had it not been for the vultures on Wall street and in the city of London Corporation…

So how in fact did these seven countries have such a great experience with the globalist free market when Russia was plunged back into another economic crisis in the same decade? A crisis that was brought about almost single handedly by yourself Mr. Sachs, thanks to your personal and awful intervention at Yeltsin’s invitation and Clinton’s behest.

Of course, you’ll find many self defense articles by the Harvard boy claiming that the “Shock therapy” effect was not his cause and so simply, he’s one or the other, not a very good economist or he is lying. I’ll take both as truths.

To wrap up a depressively redundant and yet important “Free market” history, it failed and Mr. Sachs is a failed talking head that recycles the same rhetoric over and over again. Here he is in 2015 repeating QE as the almighty savior for the world financial crisis, which merely means - WE ARE OUT OF MONEY SO LETS PRINT MORE DEBT FOR MORE SPECULATIVE BEHAVIOUR BECAUSE REAL CREATION AND INVESTMENT IS TOO LONG AND ARDUOUS. What a beautiful and cultured mind you have sir.

- https://www.weforum.org/stories/2015/01/can-printing-money-save-global-economy-yes/

The Promethean Standard

Lyndon Larouche is a scary name for many western institutions and this likely down to his scientific discoveries on the relationship between the physical world (the Biosphere in Vladmir Vernadsky terms) and the human mind (Noosphere). This negentropic idea led the way for Lyn’s immortally annoying book (if your an oligarch that is) - There are No limits to Growth!

He plucks away at every string to undo decades of Malthusian brainwashing and programming under the guise of protecting mother nature and stopping the climate from changing; an insane idea when one understands that you are living in a living and ever developing universe, not a dead entropic one. Your brain is even naturally resistant to such a morbid idea and that is due to your childish and once innocent imagination, that we can agree may act silly at times, but is essentially optimistic that it can solve a paradox. With the honing of mental skills and understanding certain physical laws, the mind can navigate extraordinarily difficult tasks and lift the collective human condition to a higher level of understanding of the universe through an individual moment of excellence and divine connection with the one, thereafter raising the standard of life for everyone included in that space or nation.

That is an inevitable construct - If I come up with an idea, that I can extrapolate into physical space and it works universally, it will raise the physical condition of humankind universally. Nuclear energy was and is such an idea and is a great example of how Energy as a universal subject is not a dead end, cul-de-sac discussion that only humans can have (Imago viva Dei) but is a subject for humans to ever increase our knowledge and understanding off, so that we can release more and more souls into the domain of scientific and artistic freedom of thought. A true culture, that seeks the betterment not just of the physical space, for that would be ugly without the necessary development of the metaphysical first, well cultured and beautified before action.

Ethiopia unbound - A Renaissance in the making

• GERD - The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

• The Genale Dawa III Hydroelectric project

• Bishoftu/Abusera International Airport

• Addis Ababa - Meskel Square City Redevelopment

• The Adwa Memorial Museum

• The Lamu Port/Kenya - South Sudan - Ethiopia Transport Corridor (LAPSSET)

• The Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway

• The Gode Fertilizer Plant - Built by Aliko Dangote (Nigeria)

• Rosatom (Russia) + Ethiopian Ministry of Innovation & Technology start exploring the feasibility of an Ethiopia-based Centre for Nuclear Science & Technology. Two Nuclear power plant units each with around 1200 MW capacity too begin construction in 2032-2034.

The above list represents just some of the examples of world class infrastructure that have been or are going to be built in Ethiopia during the past five years or during the coming five. It is a list that shines a beaming light on the not so distant past and the failures of that past. You see, with the final revival of Hamiltonian America under John F Kennedy’s Platonic leadership and its fall from grace thereafter; the Oligarchical -Apollonian - Wall Street - Free market - Adam Smith heathens were waiting in the wings to charge once again into Africa for rampant extortion. From the 1970’s and onwards up until today, Africa has been forced into a neo-colonial debt trap; enslaved by the whims of the U.S Dollar; a currency that has been so awfully managed back home in America that the world now finds itself in the very precarious position of trying to loosen the load without upsetting the tyrant and receiving the mother of all manipulators - the regime change sauce.

Ethiopia has managed to last the length of this dance and fortunately for the 130 million Ethiopian souls, Abiy Ahmed has been in quickstep with the geopolitical world arena. Today, Ethiopia has left the former IMF/World Bank port of poverty and instead, she has charted a course towards China and BRICS+, she has navigated the cold waters of regime change during the Tigray civil war (2020-22) and now finds herself at that new port of the BRICS+, as a major global actor in the world arena.

2025 has heralded in a new dawn for humankind and especially for the continent of Africa we can see the early light glowing on the horizon. The early bird is perfectly aware of what is dawning and has already been chirping the first hour to wake the others but to little avail just yet. The others will come and see eventually but first they need confirmation that the light is real. The data is undeniable so lets get into some of the very important metrics that go someway into showing the current and future path that Ethiopia and many other similarly placed nations are on. To do this we need to take the highest world example in human development terms over the past 50 years and that is most certainly China given the sheer scale of human lives lifted above the world poverty line since 1980 until today in that nation.

The above graph illustrates two significant metrics that play an extraordinarily important role when attempting to forecast the future economy. The Human Population and the density thereof leads to a necessary increase in economic activity within the given space. Due to the intrinsic nature of humankind to work together to create new processes of physical productivity, when we increase the density of economically active humans in an area, the value added to that area is significantly increased in a short period of time and the land/area value increases with that development and increase in people.

The next metric is Energy Production and the access of the population to that energy. This increases the power by which the given population can use to increase economic productivity even further and faster. Access to energy gives many a basic standard of life so that they are better enabled to study higher methods of production,. This in turn can change the standards of living around them for the universal welfare of the community and to increase the potential of that environment too. The increased abundance of energy gives the human being more time for other actions; rather than producing a fire to cook, keep warm and provide light in the dark, that same individual can now put their action toward increasing their potential in all areas of the human domain - science, art, culture, mathematics and history. This will all lead towards a universally developed nation where no single soul is left to rummage through the dust of the earth but rather, every single soul would have his or her eyes fixed firmly on the world around them and the stars and heavens above…

From the graphs above i would like to note an inflection point for both nations based on the simple metrics provided. It would appear that the inflection point for China’s now witnessed historic growth became apparent with the opening up of the PRC under Deng Xiaoping in 1978; with Mao Zedong having already provided the massive foundation of almost 60-70% Energy access and 300% growth in Food production for the nation.

When the PRC was founded in 1949, the grain output was only 113.2 million metric tons, which translated to 104.5 kilograms of grain per capita, providing an inadequate guarantee for people’s basic food needs. Grain production was later improved to a certain extend due to the rural land reform starting in the 1950s. In 1978, grain output reached 304.7 million metric tons. - Source: China.org

With the foundation of basic universal standards of living now in place and even though the percentage of people living in poverty was still very high in rural China, enough good work had been done in the cities and townships to start the process of industrialisation.

And start it did; as we can see above, the rates of poverty in rural China plummeted from 1978 onwards and we have the great Deng Xiaoping to thank for that beautiful economic plan but also we have Mao Zedong to thank for the very difficult and perilous foundation that was built for the PRC. No house, family or nation will have true last independence without that sovereign economic foundation.

Rolling forward to Ethiopia and Abiy Ahmed’s steering of the ship. For this Author, Mr. Ahmed is standing at the same step as Mr. Xiaoping had some decade before him and that step is the step of industrialisation or “opening up” as the Chinese called it at the time. You see when China “opened up”, the western oligarchs were rubbing their hands with glee for it surely meant that it was open season for themselves to come into China and buy up every industry with fanfare. Invite them in, China did; only that China did not let the western oligarchs come in and takeover industries, rather they told the Bank in London and Wall St in New York that we got this and your system of “governance” is not needed; but we will build the new Apple factories, learn from your wonderful hardware and software skills and also make you your cheap iPhones… the rest is history as they say and China has completed her made in China 2025 task. (“Made in China 2025” - a strategic industrial policy launched in 2015 by the Chinese government to transform China’s manufacturing sector from a focus on low-cost goods to one that is dominant in high-tech, innovative industries.)

Back to Ethiopia and where this nation is situated along the path of Hamiltonian/Xiaopingian economic development. I’d like to suggest that Ethiopia has arrived at China’s 1978 moment, in fact even a little past it already, for Ethiopia is fast becoming a multi vectored industrial nation with multiple modes of production.

• Agriculture - Coffee, Livestock and Crop production.

• Manufacturing - Textiles, food processing, beverages, cement and leather tanning.

• Mining -Gold, tantalum, niobium, and gemstones.

• Construction - Ethiopia’s construction industry is projected to grow by approximately 9% in 2025, following an 8.7% growth in 2024. The sector is also expected to average a 7.7% growth annually between 2026 and 2029.

• Services, Tourism, Telecommunication and IT, Financial services.

Then when we include the vast development of energy resources to back this quantum leap in industrialisation, we can see a very bright fire being lit in the horn of Africa. Ethiopia has just recently become an energy exporting nation, an achievement that is not just helping the nation but the entire region -

Timeline of electricity exports

• 2011: Ethiopia began exporting power to Djibouti, enabling Djibouti to import 35 megawatts of electricity.

• 2011: An interconnection with Sudan was established, with exports beginning in September 2011.

• November 2022: Ethiopia officially started exporting electricity to Kenya via a new 500-kilovolt power line - 200MW annually.

• 2024: Ethiopia expanded its energy exports to include Djibouti, Kenya, and Sudan, and plans to add Tanzania in the near future. The initial agreement is for 100MW, but there is potential to increase this to 200MW by 2027. Key players - The deal involves Ethiopia Electric Power (EEP), Tanzania’s Tanesco, and Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Limited (KETRACO), which will be paid a wheeling fee for using its transmission lines. Status: Trial runs have been successful, and the full-scale operation is being implemented soon.

• Present day: The country currently exports electricity to Djibouti, Kenya, Tanzania and Sudan.

What we are witnessing above is the creation of an East African energy pool that will secure electricity access for all of the 520 million souls living in the region, thereby unleashing the birth of the next industrial revolution on this planet. Believe it or not, these nations have never had such extensive transport and energy corridors exist between them and are only just now beginning to realize the enormous potential in the development of that infrastructure. With the coming increase in the movement of people and trade, this development will inevitably speed up what is already a very impressive GDP and PPP growth for the region as a whole, but particularly for the big players - Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.

To be continued in part two…

Hope precedes reality and a nations defense provides for a true and grounded hope, rather than a hope that often be lost on the rocks of whim, that resting place of many romantic heroes long past…

The AES is not for the romantic, nor the whimsical, nor the Jacobin even, The AES is for a true, everlasting and impenetrable freedom and for that, it will need to lead the Sahel and West African region toward a reformation of the regional defense architecture and thereafter a rebirthing of the Ancient Mali, Ghana and Songhai Kingdom…

New Regional Partners dock at the AES port

The emergence of a new Sahelian geopolitical contest is upon us and multiple nations are gearing up for the usual diplomatic charm offensives, that often ride alongside such world splitting developments, to bring this new regional power onto “their” side. Of course, many will immediately understand, the grandiose ramifications in having such a large and momentous regional power in the AES, on side; especially one that has the total and unified support in spirit, of the entire population on the continent.

The respective governments of the AES, unveiled plans for a unified, elite-trained paramilitary force of 5,000 soldiers. The 5,000, are just a starting point for what will eventually become a major multi-faceted Army, spanning across the land, sky and seas. At current capacity, this number will not be enough to secure the vast, geographically challenging territory, spanning nearly three million square kilometers and yet it will surely have success in restricting and reducing the terrorist hordes that are being sustained by the NATO-stan architecture, that funnels weapons into the Sahel. The AES will require intelligence sharing, air support, and partnerships for increased capabilities in the air. Partners for the latter, may include non-Western powers such as Russia, U.A.E, Turkey or China, which have already been providing bilateral military assistance and military equipment.

And so, a drum roll please, for the other parts that support the whole, that is the AES….

Egypt -

Has made a firm commitment to supporting the AES confederation in their regional fight against the NATO supported terrorism, in the Sahel. This declaration puts the Western powers on notice - the region belongs to us and we are taking control collectively; we don’t need outsiders to tell us, defend us or control us. Egypt is no small global player and its history, both recent and ancient, speaks volumes to back Egypt’s continental leadership. It was the first African nation to shake off its colonial shackles in exchange for independence and freedom in 1922, which preceded the revolution in 1952, that finally lead to the Suez crisis in 1956. In turn, this secured Egypt’s national pride and also elevated its ancient cultural and spiritual leadership on the continent.

Egyptian Foreign Minister - Badr Abdelatty, declared the following after meeting with President Ibrahim Traoré in Ouagadougou -

• Egypt commits to supporting the three AES Countries in their joint fight against terrorism.

• Cairo will continue to "provide any type of assistance" to the AES in the framework of the anti-terrorism struggle.

• Ready for "all kinds of cooperation" (Defense, Political and Economic) with Burkina Faso and the AES as a whole.

• The Egyptian minister delivered a written message from the President El-Sisi to President Ibrahim Traoré, regarding bilateral relations. (The letter likely contained some very interesting proposals for cooperation).

The meeting took place on 23.07.2025. Watch this space for more defense and economic developments coming from Egypt and the AES.

Morocco -

Morocco is providing the use of their coastal ports and building a new port, the port of Dakhla, in what has been termed the Atlantic Initiative that was launched in December 2023, as well as increasing security assistance to the Sahel nations.

The AES is gaining access to the Atlantic Ocean via Moroccan ports, introducing an alternative trade route and strengthening the transport infrastructure during the course of the construction and modernization of port infrastructure. After Algeria had blocked airspace to the three nations due to a Malian drone being shot down by Algerian defense while pursuing terrorists, Mali, Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso were pretty much forced to participate in the initiative and given that all the countries are landlocked, access to Morocco’s ports offers a critical corridor to global markets, reducing their reliance on ECOWAS nations to their south.

Morocco’s infrastructure and development partnership with the Central Sahel is further cemented in stone with a significant investment in the construction of a power plant in the capital of Niger, Niamey and it was already inaugurated in December 2024. Located in the Gamkaley industrial zone, this state-of-the-art facility has a production capacity of 22.5 MVA (20 MW) and is a statement of the speed of development in continental and global south relations.

Not to be undeterred from the goal of national sovereignty one bit though, Niger has recently suspended Intelligence Cooperation with Morocco due to claims of Moroccan installed equipment providing backdoor access to French intelligence contractors.

The deal had allowed a Moroccan company, tied to Morocco’s DGED (foreign intelligence), to install surveillance infrastructure in the capital. An investigation found the network was both underperforming and connected to French private intelligence. The entire system was dismantled overnight on orders from DGDSE chief Bala Araby.

Niger is now relying heavily on human intelligence to monitor the security status of the country with Presidential Guards patrolling Niamey by foot and motorcycle. It is inspirational to see such a zero tolerance approach to any foreign interference in the national affairs of Niger and it bears a lot of hope for the future unity of the AES.

Morocco moved quickly and scored a big diplomatic win with the Atlantic initiative but have just recently found out how serious the AES is in protecting its sovereignty too. There will be no backdooring with these leaders, no roundabouts, only direct lines of diplomacy that benefit the people of the AES. Anything else will simply not do and it seems everyone is on notice now.

United Arab Emirates -

The diplomatic tour of Sheikh Shakhboot Bin Nahyan Al Nahyan in the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) countries in May 2025 was followed up by Saddam Haftar (Son of the leader of the LNA, Khalifa Haftar) and his strategic visit to Niger. These visits reveal the implementation of an Emirati containment strategy that seems to be targeting Algeria and also the space left by the exit of western forces. The initiative is articulated around the Benghazi-Niamey-Bamako-Ouagadougou corridor and reinforced by convergence with the Moroccan Royal Initiative.

The diplomatic sequence of May 2025 leading with an Emirati visit to the three AES capitals followed by Saddam Haftar’s visit to Niamey is surely not coincidental and is evidence of the politicking going on in the region for influence. The Emirates offer the Malian, Nigerien, and Burkinabè military juntas what only a few other world powers can guarantee: unconditional support without democratic requirements, coupled with huge infrastructure investments and tangible security support.

Saddam Haftar’s visit to Niger, culminating in his official decoration, reveals the military dimension of Emirati containment. This sequence is not fortuitous: it occurs immediately after Sheikh Shakhboot’s tour, suggesting strategic coordination between the Emirates and the Libyan National Army (LNA).

The security agreements concluded between Saddam Haftar and Abdourahamane Tchiani focus on border control, counter-terrorism, and above all, the possible takeover by the LNA of the former French base of Madama. This strategic installation, located on the Libyan-Nigerien border, would constitute an advanced base for cross-border operations, completing the encirclement apparatus of Algeria from the South.

The information presented above regarding the takeover of the base of Madama is very hopeful indeed. Representing the development of a new Pan-African security coordination which will in turn lead to the defeat of terrorism in the Sahel.

The U.A.E may at some point in the ear future put the Aeronautic and Space industries on the agenda for cooperation; after all, the U.A.E has just recently become a space-faring nation with the successful launch, but ultimately failed landing of their Rashid 1 rover. Rashid 2 is on the way though and due to be launched in 2026, so do not rest on that initial ‘failure’ and wait with patience for what will eventually become a very exciting and successful project.

In Mali, the extension of the 2019 defense protocol and investment projects in solar energy ( the Touna plant, 93 MW) are part of a developing economic partnership.

In Niger, discussions on mining and energy development aim to secure Emirati supply of uranium and rare metals for their own recently built Nuclear power stations.

In Burkina Faso, despite it being a more discreet visit, economic cooperation agreements strengthen Emirati investments in the agriculture and infrastructure industries

Venezuela -

This country is a fun final entry and i include it importantly for the sake of its distance. The AES torch has reached South America and who other than Maduro to gladly welcome AES diplomats with open arms. Any chance to stick it to his northern neighbor…

From August 2 to August 7, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mali Abdoulaye Diop is on an official visit to Venezuela.

On August 5, he was received by President Nicolas Maduro. During the meeting, the prospects for deepening partnership between the two countries were discussed. The Venezuelan President supported the initiative to hold a meeting of the joint commission in Mali in 2026, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Maduro spoke of his and Venezuela’s solidarity with the AES, alluding to his own nations fight with the NATO hegemon and offered diplomatic, defense and economic assistance for the AES nations. He affirmed his belief that cooperation between the resistance nations or the “Sovereigns” as we have termed earlier, is what will stand the best chance of bringing about a new world paradigm based on the principles of justice and prosperity.

What’s going on between the U.A.E and Algeria?

• Algeria represents a direct competitor to the Emirates in European and African energy markets.

• It has considerable gas reserves, is geographically located close to Europe and is the largest nation by land area on the African continent.

• Algiers has strategic assets that the Emirates seek to neutralize and the most strategic dimension of this energy rivalry lies in the Emirati financing of the Africa Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP), connecting Nigeria to Morocco via the Atlantic. This major financial move from Abu Dhabi seeks to cancel out the competing Algerian trans-Saharan gas pipeline project, which was to connect Algeria to Nigeria via Niger. (Unnecessary for two pipelines are better than one…)

• Emirati energy projects in the Sahel, particularly in solar and green hydrogen, are part of this competitive strategy. By securing energy partnerships with AES countries, the Emirates seek to deprive Algeria of natural outlets for its gas and electricity exports.

• The Emirates will deploy a massive economic spending in the Sahel, recently promising nearly $97 billion in investments in Africa. Emirati infrastructure projects will include solar plants, agricultural complexes, special economic zones and will aim to integrate Sahelian economies into the Emirati orbit, mechanically reducing their room for maneuver vis-à-vis other partners, notably Algeria.

The Sahel contains important reserves of uranium, gold, and rare earths, crucial resources for Emirati technological ambitions. Algeria, due to its geographical proximity and historical ties, constitutes a natural competitor for access to these raw materials.

The Emirati strategy aims to secure exclusive or privileged access to Sahelian resources, short-circuiting traditional commercial circuits dominated by Algeria. Mining investments in Niger and agricultural projects in Mali are part of this logic of economic appropriation.

The Emirates exploit their image of moderate and tolerant Islam to seduce Sahelian elites. This religious diplomacy, less visible but equally effective, aims to counterbalance the influence of other regional Muslim powers, notably Algeria and its traditional allies.

Emirati educational programs, scholarships, and cultural exchanges participate in this long-term strategy aimed at forming future Sahelian elites in Abu Dhabi’s orbit.

The Rabat-Abu Dhabi-AES Triangle: Architecture of a New Partnership?

Emirati financing of the AAGP and support for AES economies create ripe conditions for South-South economic integration and these are well and good but it is a shame that those machinations aim to systematically bypass Algeria. This geopolitical restructuring transforms Morocco into the Atlantic platform for Sahelian exchanges all the way from Sudan to the AES, while the Emirates will provide the capital and technology necessary for this reconfiguration. The AES has thus become an important and vital Sahelian link for a Atlantic-Gulf strategic axis that seeks to marginalize any Algerian ambitions for regional leadership.

Is Algeria in denial or is there a plan to lead?

Algeria has come face to face with continental isolation for a few reasons -

First, Algiers’ limited financial means do not allow it to compete with Emirati generosity. Second, Algerian internal political instability complicates the elaboration of a coherent long-term strategy.

The de facto abandonment of the trans-Saharan gas pipeline project, torpedoed by Emirati financing of the AAGP, deprives Algeria of its main economic influence lever in the Sahel. Without a credible energy alternative to offer AES countries, Algiers finds itself disarmed against the Emirati-Moroccan seduction offensive.

Finally, Algeria’s traditional ties with certain Sahelian groups, sometimes perceived as obsolete by new military elites, constitute a handicap against the apparent modernity of the Emirati model and the attractiveness of Moroccan Atlantic opening.

For Algeria, the challenge now consists of adapting its Sahelian diplomacy to the new global geopolitical realities and would be wise in proposing a credible alternative or even extension to the Emirati-Moroccan model without compromising its own strategic interests. The diplomatic sequence of May 2025 has set the stage for the emergence of a new Sahelian geopolitical order, where traditional Algerian influence finds itself contested by a methodical and sophisticated Emirati-Moroccan alliance. This reconfiguration raises broader questions about the future of regional balances in a Sahel in perpetual reconfiguration, now connected to the Atlantic rather than the Mediterranean, reducing reliance on European merchants and trade and forging paths to the wider world market.

Final conclusions on current events…

The summer of 2025 is marked by a major geopolitical shift in the Sahel and Maghreb regions of Africa. We have witnessed the emergence of converging diplomatic signals toward the normalization of Morocco-Algeria relations and potentially a full inclusion of Algeria in the new U.A.E-Libya-AES-Morocco strategic axis that is forming. On July 31, 2025, King Mohammed VI of Morocco made his annual Throne Speech and pointed his attention towards the often thorny relationship with their neighbor -

King Mohammed VI said Morocco is ready for "a frank and responsible dialogue" that is "fraternal and sincere on the various outstanding issues between the two countries." The king called for "a consensual solution that saves face for all parties, where there will be neither winner nor loser," without providing further details.

The above statement is a clear olive branch being offered from Morocco to Algeria to restructure some of its internal decisions regarding the two nations relationship. Algeria's internal political restructuring, and international diplomatic coordination reveal the multiple layers of difficulty in achieving a reconciliation process. Western powers are heavily involved in the discussion and President Trump surely seeks to add this agreement to his list of peace achievements, however, structural obstacles remain considerable, and the optimistic timeline for an autumn reconciliation remains to be confirmed with concrete actions from both sides. After four years of complete diplomatic breakdown, the summer of 2025 reveals a real potential in converging diplomatic signals toward possible normalization.

The Morocco-Algeria rivalry, which has become a regional cold war since 2021, is experiencing a historic strategic shift and it has come about due to the emergence of the AES as the spiritual force for changing the physical relations between the regions nations. They are the bridge uniting and connecting all the peripheral fields together; suddenly being landlocked has some serious advantages.

The AES has filled the huge geographical space that is the Sahel region, a region that was once a military-political-economic vacuum where very little progress or development was taking place. Finally that vacuum has been filled with a real sovereign leadership that actually believes and seeks its own potential. They hold a genuinely progressive ideal in wanting to lift the fortunes of the national people and they are proving that when a group of people lead that charge for sovereignty and independence, it is not merely a walking in the dark, go for broke sentiment. It is not some Jacobin revolution that will end up on the heap of historic hell-fire.

This is very possibly the true rebirth of the West African Mali-Ghana-Songhai Empire/Kingdom/Nation state, a rebirth of the former kingdom and aristocracy that once reigned over the region without any foreign interference in the pre-colonial centuries.

One look at Ibrahim Traore and we can see a king in the making; he and others are handing you the keys to a true Republic people, whether you can keep it or not will be the real question… This author for one has very high hopes based on the evidence presented above.

It has been a busy year already and honestly, I am still reading up on all the major diplomatic and strategic events that took place in 2024. After the major successes of the Russia-Africa summit and the FOCAC summit that took place in Beijing, we are now beginning to see the physical results of all that talking and politicking, between the worlds most powerful men and women. Unlike the declining empire, that seems to have zero idea as to what the others want any more and therefore has resigned itself from its global hegemonic leadership position - from the shining city on a hill, to a mere observer, incapable of stopping the arrival of the New Paradigm with a shared future of prosperity for humankind. This is a paradigm that represents the opening up of the world to create more, rather than less. A paradigm that seeks out the highest potential for each individual, rather than the lowest parts of the whole. A paradigm that will literally change the daily lives of every single man and woman on earth through scientific and creative interventions into the standard of living; a real quantum leap in human understanding that will undoubtedly change the world around us. We will wave goodbye to desertification and droughts, we will end human starvation and poverty, we will never be short of water again and we will all have access to education and knowledge. No individual will be forgotten this time, because this new paradigm is the paradigm of the other, the forgotten 6 billion, the ones who still cant afford those Nikes even though they made them, the ones who continue to wonder why life hasn’t gotten better, even though the colonialists promised so much to dream of. And dream on they did, until China came along around the millennium and now, watch out London and Paris because somehow, Russia has just found some capital to invest after decades of sanctions heaped on her economy and Putin is now looking towards the West African region for some sovereign partners to dance with.

One of Africa’s big issues, is that so many of its leaders are totally in the pockets of the western elite and think-tank institutions where they were trained to be good little lap dogs who constantly look to their foreign master for approval and to be patted on the head as a good and docile pet. Whenever London, Paris or Washington come knocking for resources, they also come with an array IMF and World Bank loans that conditionally impose high interest rates, refuse to spend the money on infrastructure development and impose other financial strangleholds on the nations people with increased tax measures across the economy that in turn are supposed to pay for the debts. This is the west’s well rehearsed method of, Neo-Colonial Financial extortion -

1. Train, insert and buy the countries elite - brainwash them so that they would rather serve the foreign master, than their own people.

2. Via the western backed loans, pay and corrupt the national elite to allow western companies like Glencore to extract at will. Often resulting in a lack of regulatory oversight, extraction without paying any taxes or customs and human rights abuses where contracts aren’t paid and minors are engaged in slave labor.

3. The nations citizenry receives none of the wealth, loans or resources. The loans are used to corrupt the elite, fund regime change operations on uncooperative neighbors (like French-ally Ivory coast is doing to Burkina Faso currently) or for meaningless social science programs that aim to brainwash people rather than lift them from their plight. The resources are extracted while the leadership turns a blind eye, because they have been made rich already. The people are left with nothing but an elite that periodically sacrifices them on the alter, using abusive measures to keep them in check, while western governments and corporations are given a red carpet to commit unchecked daylight robbery.

This creates a vicious cycle for the African population, a cycle in which the only way to break free, is to take back their national sovereignty, develop their internal security situations so that there are zero snakes left in the garden and thereafter unleash the potential of those resources so that the people can realize their individual economic prosperity.

Regime change is Africa’s most recurrent and likely downfall; it is not that Africa hasn’t already produced great humanist leaders, it is that we shot them all…

And so without further ado, from Russia with Love/Agape, we welcome Security with a capital S and it arrives in the form of military support on the ground with troops, ammo, weapons and technical assistance; all in aid of defeating the scourge of terrorism that has been aided and financed by the west since over three decades at least. Infrastructure development, is the next active love to be ushered into the halls of the BRIICS+ diplomacy and it is here that we will really get excited for the results because infrastructure development is the fastest action to eradicate poverty.

Why?

• Because of the immediate and massive increase in jobs - Design, management, oversight, legal and technical jobs in the thousands are always created when we build major physical infrastructure.

• The infrastructure construction boosts the local commercial economy where the project is being built - the local population engage in sales of food and beverages, small electronics, newspapers and magazines, clothes and miscellaneous items for working outdoors. Construction workers buy lots of local goods throughout the period of construction.

• Upon completion - the road, railway, airport or port, will provide newly created permanent direct jobs in the region for the continued maintenance of the project. Indirect jobs will also grow to service the needs of those permanent workers and also citizens and tourists alike, who continuously travel the route, due to its ease of access and speed.

• These new jobs don’t disappear overnight just because of some change in government or in policy. Infrastructure remains regardless of what party comes to power and this secures the peoples standards of living and social rights too. Rather than make them beholden to political parties, the parties are beholden to performing for the people and it should always be this way around.

From Russia to Burkina Faso

The Russian Railways company (RZD) is targeting four African countries, Burkina Faso, Ghana, South Africa, and Libya, for infrastructure development. The initiative is a bold move and a new part of Russia's strategy to enhance trade routes and strengthen geopolitical ties through railway modernization. Recent events have moved African markets into the limelight and some are now viewed as pivotal regions for transporting bulk goods, such as minerals, metals, oil and gas, all of which are essential base resources for economic growth.

Moscow’s broader geopolitical goals are beginning to take shape in the physical realm and like China, have finally stepped up to the plate. RZD targets key transport corridors on the continent and will partner with the countries of Burkina Faso, Ghana, South Africa, and Libya to develop regional rail networks for improved movement of goods and people.

With big strategic investments in rail infrastructure on the way, Russia aims to bolster trade routes, enhance regional integration, and cement its influence on the continent. Sputnik Afrika has reported that Russian Railways (RZD) is expanding its presence in Africa by focusing on railway construction and modernization and the choice behind those four nations bears some significance when we look at international strategic trade corridors that are already inked down on paper, and are being cemented into place.

"Given the potential of developing trade with [African] countries, we see prospects for the further development and extension of the North–South International Transport Corridor in the direction of Africa with the creation of the appropriate transport infrastructure." - "We are prepared to actively get involved in this work with interested Russian operators and logistics companies,"

- said RZD First Deputy CEO, Sergei Pavlov at the State Duma.

Why is Russia looking to those four?

What do Burkina Faso, Ghana, Libya and South Africa have in common?

On the surface of it all, it may seem like a pretty random selection but i think we would be wise to assume, that the Russian intelligentsia doesn’t do randomness and they certainly don’t have money to waste at this given time, so what is the plan…

The plan is to connect Africa to the North-South International Transport corridor, Russia’s version of China’s BRI, only smaller and obviously without the scale that China has presented. Not to be deterred though, this corridor will benefit everything that China is doing regarding the BRI and the two projects will co-align and become part of the same whole puzzle. China’s BRI mostly focuses on the Eurasian East-West transport corridors that connect Asia with Europe and this is because these routes secure China’s hugely important trade relations, so that they can never be cut off from Europe and international markets again via British or American imposed naval blockades and whatnot. That ol’ Malacca strait issue eh…

China is very active in the East African region too and with the economic behemoths on the continent, Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa, for it seems Chinas wealth and creativity knows no bounds and it also seems that China does not wish to see the world separated into regional blocs, run by each superpower. China will push the U.S.A to act on its own principles and allow open and win-win trade with all nations of the world, regardless of political spheres. Russia is pushing in the same direction, entering into security agreements with nations that were previously considered British, French and American only playgrounds and it is seriously irking them all. Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso has already tasted the western-served dish for individuals seeking national sovereignty, national resource development and independently chosen bilateral partners and it tastes of bitterness and spite, with a touch of betrayal and murder for good measure. Lovely partners are these in London, Paris and Washington but we can do better says Traoré.

Trains, Planes and Automobiles

These three things are flowing into the “Dark” continent like a tsunami; unbound by the neo-colonial “partners" of the past centuries, these nations now seek partners who seek their national betterment, rather than their conformity and adoration. National betterment could not come any faster than by train, for train is the best form of transport in all the world and I’m saying that with absolute confidence, for it is the easiest to board, the safest and soon to be fastest (MAGLEV) means of travel and provides one with the most space and comfort to move around, all while witnessing the beautiful scenes of the nation your in. Cars are best for local travel or specific locations that are hard to access, Planes are for the long haul, but trains do it all, carving their way through valleys and tunnels under mountains and sea or floating on bridges high in the sky as they cross mountain peaks. Anyone who has watched a You-tube video of the Chinese railway network, will know exactly what I’m getting at.

So Libya, Burkina Faso and Ghana should now begin to make more sense if we are aware of their location on the continent. There has been talk for some decades now of building the African Integrated High-Speed Railway Network (AIHSRN), a flagship project of the African Union's Agenda 2063 and for a long time it looked like East Africa was the only region that would achieve this feat but now with Russia’s well timed impetus, we see more light on the horizon.

Lets see a map for reference:

Above you can see the orange railway line that has been marked out crossing the great Sahara desert and Sahel region, passing through the important capital cities that are also marked on the map.

From Burkina Faso to Russia - by Rail, Road or Air…

This project marks a major shift in the world arena and is one of the first serious physical proposals put forward by Russia, for the African continent. Not only are we focusing on one sole nation, but on a whole host of recipients that stand to benefit immensely due to the wide-spread connectivity of the project. The railway links the economies physically and by default this increases a certain quality of co-dependency in the regional economics. The prosperity and health of the other nations becomes very much the concern of your own nation and it is this kind of economic relationship that will build continental unity; not empty words and promises, but hard, physical progress that when coordinated with the other, will bring prosperity to all nations involved (Look at the Russian-led EAEU or the Chinese-led BRI for comparison).

The standard of living is strictly tied to the bilateral and regional economic relationships and it is the security and prosperity that those relationships provide, that will keep any colonial interests from invading the continent ever again and making the peoples lives there, a misery. It makes it much harder for foreign powers to keep their well-paid puppets in place when the regional relations check that individuals intentions and makes certain that they act for the greater good of the continent, rather than the foreign power. If that individual went against their region in support of some foreign power, then they would be easily exposed by their own populations and the nation could restore a leader who works in line with developing the national economy of, by and for the people.

ECOWAS failed its regional task of Economic, Security and Cultural integration, simply because it never really got going with any oomph and was founded by leaders who were very much under the imperial wing. By the time its founding came about in 1975, most of the true Pan-African leaders, who had revived that ancient spirit of republic, freedom and independence for the people, had been wiped of the continent either by assassination or politically organized coups. These, often ended in exile for the given leader and such was the case for our dear and beloved first President of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah. The irony in all of this, is that a lot of those leaders had learnt those very principles of freedom, independence and the pursuit of happiness, in American Universities and it is a despicable truth, that it was the American government, after Kennedy’s own assassination and amongst other imperial Europeans, that led that ruthless imperial charge across the continent in the 60’s. By 1965 already, Nkrumah had been put into exile, after the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was implicated in supporting opposition forces to overthrow him and Lumumba had been shot, also by the CIA, but this time with the support of Belgian intelligence.

It is a hard truth for many to accept, that the former Republic that was the U.S.A, has renounced its role as leader of the “Free” world, since some 60 years now and instead, has been actively and almost obsessively engaging in empirical warfare; basically using all of its power to scare small economically undeveloped nations into a corner, on every national development policy that serves their own. It is an almighty shame to have dropped that promethean baton of fire and to see other great republics in Russia and China, almost be forced into a historic position of virtue, due to the depravity of the western leadership. The American and European elite are so utterly devoid of creativity and optimism, that they make Russia and China look more and more reliable and honest each passing day. It is hard for the average African to look up to the western civilization anymore, when this civilization has not done enough to protect the principles and republic, that our own platonic people like Benjamin Franklin have given us. Rather it is on a path of fire and destruction that seeks the upending of all, so that it can maintain its semblance or illusion of control and power. An illusion that thanks to interventions like these above, will surely fade away in a year or two for most individuals on the planet, if they haven’t already….

Welcome to a new era of Rail, Roads, Air and Space travel, all of which has been held back for so long, by the waning imperial hegemon. I suppose its true when we say, “Where one story ends, another begins…”

Where there is population growth, lies the potential to fill Space with Human life…

The idea for a Pan-African Space Agency, is a valid and timely one and even though we have been recently blessed with the foundation of the African Space Agency in 2023 (under the African Union), more needs to be done by the leadership of the continent to bring African nations into a new space age, alongside the BRICS+ leaders, China, Russia and India. During the past three decades, all three nations have become space-faring nations and have developed strong and stable domestic Aerospace industries to support human space-faring activities, long into the future.

The great and immortal Soviet Space Program that put the first Human, Yuri Gagarin, into space, began operations in 1951, before transforming into ROSCOSMOS under President Boris Yeltsin in 1992, while China’s CNSA was founded in 1993, having originally been led and founded in the 1950’s, by the great Qian Xuesen (the forefather of the Chinese space program), who was serving Chairman Mao Zedong’s bold wish; “We too need satellites”, if they were to stake their claim as the other modern superpower. India, is a more recent addition to the space nation team with the founding of INCOSPAR, as its original vehicle for space travel back in 1962, before changing its name to ISRO in 1969. In 1975 India launched their first satellite thanks to the expertise and assistance of Russia. The transfer of knowledge between the nations and the provision for Indian satellites to be transported to space by Russia’s Soyuz rockets, has greatly improved and increased the rate of progression for the Indian Space program.

And so, we are currently in the process of transitioning from the Old unipolar paradigm that has become a rules-based order or in other words, a closed minded system, into a New multi-polar paradigm that has an open minded system, with a shared vision of the future, for all humanity. That means that finally, the long forgotten Global South nations and their ever-expanding youthful populations, can begin to access the Science, Technology, Capital and technical assistance, they so sorely need to develop a continental Space industry. China and Russia have a special stated interest in leading that charge, for China especially, will eventually benefit from increased access to the essential rare earth minerals that lie on the African continent in abundance, while in return, Africa will receive a transfer of knowledge some 70 years in the making via the African youth being trained at Chinese and Russian universities. Also, in developing the individual Space Agencies for each nation, technical assistance will be offered for every step of the way, much in the same way that it is being done so for the Nuclear energy industry too.

On the whole, Space, is still a very new and recent frontier for Humankind and though the U.S.A staked its claim on the new terrain, by possibly landing on the moon some 60 years ago; other nations of the world, are also now ready to make that giant leap for mankind!

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Who believes in a Space age enough, to get ready to go…

The short answer lies in these nations here, listed in a rough order that relates to their current level of development:

1. Egypt - EgSA

2. South Africa - SANSA

3. Nigeria - NASRDA

4. Ethiopia - ESSGI

5. Algeria - ASAL

6. Senegal - ASES

7. Botswana - BIUST

8. Kenya - KSA

9. Djibouti - Ministry of Higher Education and Research

10. Ghana - GSSTI

11. Angola - GGPEN

12. Rwanda - RSA

13. Gabon - AGEOS

14. Ivory Coast - ASI

15. Namibia - NCRST

16. Morocco - CRTS

17. Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency

Though the above list is not complete, for there are many other African nations that are preparing agencies that include some space related activities, but this is the list i chose after having done some extensive research on the quantity of funding and the quality of their space developing industries. These 18 nations, have so far achieved the foundational standards needed, in preparing the foundation for getting ready to make that great leap to the stars above us. Satellites are either in operation already or are in the planning phase of their development for most of these nations. These represent the beginning of Africa’s space era, an era that is creatively powering the minds of the youth and will deliver a sovereign knowledge base, that not only is capable of keeping up with the great superpowers in Science and technological development, but capable of surpassing them.

I don’t say this for any competitive intentions but merely based on another scientific principle, that of negentropy, the natural ordering of all things by the increased application of energy. In reality, this plays out simply in all examples of human civilization; when the production of energy increases or the physical principles for that production change, to allow for a significant increase in the production of energy - three very important natural organizing processes follow - a sizeable increase in the Human population, a significant increase in the standards of living for that population and therefore, an exponential expansion in the potential of human creativity and productivity. This in turn, can further create even more organized and powerful processes of energy production and a nation can repeat the whole revolutionary renaissance cycle as many times as their culture permits.

Why Culture you may ask?

Because culture is the spiritual foundation for all action, and when talking about the state or the government or a leadership of any kind, it is the essential character of that aristocracy, that will define whether the nation has a culture of agape, beauty, discovery and reason, as its guiding principles, or division, conflict, dogma and lies. A nation of the former, has an aristocracy that seeks to govern for the sake of developing ideas that constitute a better life for the general population, so that each individual can develop their epistemology to such a level, that they are capable to essentially govern their own life in accordance with natural law. That doesn’t mean that the population doesn’t need a government, the paradox is, you would want a government, if that government acts for the greatest general welfare of its people; something that funnily enough, people have a hard time understanding and believing, when we witness the achievements of the CCP in China.

A population that is highly educated in the classical Arts and Sciences, whether that be culturally led by Plato, Confucius or Philo of Alexandria, is a population that will be capable of discoveries that open up new physical frontiers like Mars and will also expose new principles in energy production, new and faster modes of transport that will fundamentally change the time-space ratio and many new discoveries will be made in agricultural production too, that will stand too further increase the world population. China has proven to the world, what is possible when you lift millions of minds to engage in science and have gone on to develop new practical technology from those discoveries, at a rate, possibly never seen before in history. Only decades ago, we were talking about developing and building Magnetic Levitation Train lines in Germany, but the whole project has essentially been shut down today and yet be not dismayed, for soon, China will announce to the world, the worlds first Commercial High Speed Maglev line. That’s the beauty of Science, Art and Culture, not one nation owns them, these are tools of the mind and soul that are apparent and evident, in every single one of us. We just need a leadership that believes so…

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The African Space Race has begun…

Ok, so lets get back to the African continent and go through who is where, in this new continental race to space and lets peel back the technical details, to see who has the real aristocratic intentions, for shifting the culture and the actions of the people, towards real scientific creativity and discovery. Remember its early days so keep expectations real, but the speed at which this can get going, is seriously understated.

The real astronauts at this current moment are Egypt, for they have shown in recent times, the most serious intentions towards developing their Aerospace industries. Space and military industries, are closely aligned of course for the scientific principles that govern them, effect both rockets and missiles, not to mention, satellite imaging for security and border surveillance, so it is off high importance, that Egypt has a strong military industry already. The production of domestically made drones, small arms, ammunition, armored vehicles, naval vessels, electronic equipment, tanks, and missiles, while also producing important civilian goods, such as medical equipment, agricultural machinery, fire-fighting vehicles, domestic appliances, and machine shop equipment, exemplify the high quality standards that are already in effect, in this industrious nation.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of what the Egyptian Space industry produces domestically, plus a bit of history:

Egypt's domestic space industry produces nanosatellites, microsatellites, and some minisatellites. The Egyptian Space Agency (EgSA) and private companies like Qamar Space Technology Company are involved in this production, with a focus on developing and manufacturing satellites for various applications like the Internet of Things, communications, and satellite photography. The EgSA also has a MAIT (Manufacturing, Assembly, Integration, and Testing) infrastructure to support the production and testing of satellites, including CubeSats.

• Satellite Production:

  Egypt is actively localizing its satellite technology, achieving a high level of domestic production for nanosatellites and microsatellites. (60% & 40% respectively)

• Private Sector Involvement:

  • AQMAAR or Qamar Space Technology Company is a key private sector player, developing and manufacturing satellites for various services, including Internet of Things, communications, and photography. Positioned as Egypt's first private-sector satellite manufacturer, it is committed to advancing space technology through modular satellite solutions. The company's ambitious vision includes “swarm-oriented satellite missions”, with a demonstration mission—a 3U CubeSat—set to launch in Q4 2025.

• Government Support:

  The EgSA plays a crucial role in supporting the development and production of satellites, including through its MAIT infrastructure and collaborations with private sector entities.

• Satellite Applications:

  Egypt's space industry is focused on developing satellites for various applications, including remote sensing, communications, and Earth observation.

• International Collaboration:

  Egypt is also involved in international collaborations, such as the African Development Satellite (AfDevSat) project, where it leads the design, assembly, integration, testing, and launch of the satellite. The African Development Satellite (AfDevSat) project, is a collaborative continental effort, led by the Egyptian Space Agency (EgSA), to develop a space system for climate change monitoring and capacity building in Africa. It aims to address challenges in climate change like droughts and floods, disaster monitoring and agriculture development, while monitoring water scarcity, desertification, and food stability. The initiative involves multiple African countries, with each participating nation contributing to the development of specific satellite subsystems while it also aims to build infrastructure in those participating countries, such as ground stations and laboratories. Each participant, took courses in space project management, space sub-system design, CAD tools and design software orientation, satellite testing, among others at EgSA.

• Egypt first launched a satellite, in 1998.

• Egypt has the highest number of launched satellites in Africa. It has launched 14 satellites in orbit and added a new one to its fleet in 2024: NExSAT-1, launched from China. One of its newest satellites, TibaSat-1, a communication satellite, was launched in November, 2019, onboard Ariane 5 rocket owned by French space launch company, Arianespace.

• Egyptian Space Agency launched a competition to select the first Egyptian Astronaut, in January 2020. The six years program will run in two stages - the first stage will include the required psychological, physical and mental tests, while the second will feature pieces of training, on living inside the International Space Station. The competition is open to both young men and women with the relevant qualifications, however, only two people will be selected, one of whom will fly into space. The dates of the mission are still undisclosed but the priority, is to have an astronaut in space by 2025.

“We plan to develop and launch two satellites in the first three years and to start an NGEO constellation based on what we developed in the first three years. The goal is to develop constellations in the second three years, mainly for surveillance and monitoring of the Egyptian borders” - “Also, the program is focusing on climate change, space weather and space debris mitigation”.

“At the moment, we have good activities in the development of satellites, but Egypt requires more effort in space weather and debris mitigation which is why we shall align with other countries that have already started working in these two fields”.

- said Dr Mohamed ElKoosy, CEO of the Egyptian Space Agency

It is in fact Cairo, that has been named as the city of location for the African Space Agency’s headquarters and it is a notable choice, in that Egypt has clearly been selected as the nation to lead the space industry and development of, due to its superior industrial base and its high standards in education. Egypt’s economic industrial base, is some way ahead of the other nations on the continent and this is made most clear, by the sizeable selection of products that can be entirely produced domestically, without any foreign parts. This is the physical example of the high-quality standards in production and it is all made possible by the large numbers of people who have gained scientific literacy for the development of the nation. Just think that Egypt, with Russia’s help, is currently building the largest nuclear power plant in Africa, in El Dabaa and this complex will provide a huge 4.8Gw of power at any given time, to power over 4 million homes from the Egyptian population and also to help power neighboring countries too. Currently all four Rosatom-designed units are in their construction phase; this requires an almighty 20,000 scientifically trained Egyptians, to help design, build and thereafter maintain such powerful technology and it is projects like this, that prepare a nation for such a lofty industry such as the Aerospace industry.

Another BRICS+ nation, Ethiopia, is in the dynamic process of spearheading energy network initiatives to link the Horn of Africa through power infrastructure, promoting regional integration and eventually providing the continental power link between Egypt and South Africa. Addis Ababa is advancing power supply agreements with Sudan, Djibouti, and Kenya, with plans to extend connectivity all the way to South Africa eventually, so as to strengthen its role as a regional energy hub and promote Pan-African economic integration. All of this development is increasing South-South economic cooperation and deepening trade relations and so it comes as no surprise that Ethiopia's revenue from power exports, is duly increasing, with over $220 million USD earned in the first nine months of the fiscal year alone, from supplying electricity to neighboring countries. Here are some metrics to show the rapid energy production increase in Ethiopia, between 2000-2022 -

• Ethiopia’s Electricity production increased by 936%, from 1,674 GWh to 17,338 GWh. Ranking 11th in Africa and 85th globally, for electricity production.

• Hydropower is the largest source with 16,770 GWh in 2022 and will increase to over 23,000 GWh of generation, when the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is complete at the end of 2025. Taking their ranking into the Top 7 in Africa and the Top 75 globally.

• Ethiopia began exporting electricity to neighboring Sudan and Djibouti around 2010, after the completion of the Tekeze hydroelectric dam project. This was a major step, as Ethiopia was previously struggling to meet its own domestic demand, with only 20% of the population having access to electricity at the time.

• Between 2011-2022, electricity exports increased over 427%. In 2011, 332 GWh were exported. In 2022, 1,749 GWh were exported. For electricity exports, they rank 8th in Africa and 61st globally.

• And lastly, per capita electricity consumption is significantly increasing in Ethiopia with a 327% increase between 2000-22. In 2022, per capita consumption stood at a meager but quickly improving, 0.094 MWh. To compare, in 2023, the U.S.A had a huge per capita consumption of 12.44 MWh, while China provided 6.64 MWh for its citizens. The world average is 3.67 MWh.

And on the space front -

• Ethiopia became the 10th African nation to send a satellite into space this year. Launched first Satellite on 20 December, 2019.

• Ethiopia is set to strengthen its space capabilities with the launch of its third Earth observation satellite.

• Developed in partnership with China, the satellite will provide advanced imaging technology to support agriculture, climate monitoring, and disaster management.

• Ethiopia’s space programme began with the launch of two satellites, both developed with Chinese aerospace collaboration.

• These satellites have played a crucial role in land use planning, environmental monitoring, and disaster risk reduction, providing data to enhance sustainable agriculture and resource management.

• Ethiopia’s satellite was shot into space from China, all the other African nations to have launched have had it done from overseas – no launch has be made from the continent as yet.

• Details of the ET-RSS1 (A joint collaboration by China and Ethiopia, under the BRI)

  • Ethiopian space officials stated both Ethiopian and Chinese engineers took part in the construction of the 72 kilogram (159 pound) satellite that took three years.

  • The total cost of the satellite was $8 million USD, of which $6 million USD was covered by China. Ethiopia hopes to save up to $11 million USD a year by using their own satellite data. The satellite was sent into space from Shanxi Province in China.

“This is a day we became one of the 70 countries in the world that operate a satellite from space,” - “The next step is to launch a communication satellite and also set up a space materials assembly and manufacturing facility here in Ethiopia.”

said Ahmedin Mohammed, an official with Ethiopia’s Innovation and Technology Ministry.

“Ethiopia has joined the effort to seek knowledge and information from space,”

- Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed

So we can see the rapid developments taking place and though Ethiopia, has quite a distance to go before catching the likes of the U.S.A and China, it is obvious, that it won’t take long at this rate, to bring Ethiopia to the status of - a middle-income country, that largely will have eradicated poverty by 2040 and will become one of the first space-faring African nations, alongside their BRICS+ colleague and neighbor, Egypt. With both countries in the final construction phases of their massive energy production projects - El Dabaa NPP and the GERD - we start to see the important potential for these foundational economic landmarks, as they form the basis for the future Aerospace industry, an industry that requires enormous amounts of energy, to run factories round the clock, 24/7. From there, those factories will pull in huge amounts of F.D.I and will further boost their respective economies, while the African youth continent-wide, will be spiritually and mentally pulled, towards such optimistic and truly progressive science driver projects, that have the potential to release the unique talents and ideas, of each and every individual.

The Continental achievements - Africa’s Satellite league

• Egypt – In 1998, Egypt became the first African nation to launch a satellite. There are two variants – NILESAT and EGYPTSAT satellites. The most recent launch was in February 2019.

• Morocco – In November 2017, Morocco sent the Mohammed VI-A satellite into space.

• South Africa – South Africa was the first in sub-Saharan Africa to launch a miniaturized satellite called SUNSAT, which was designed and manufactured in the country, in a NASA-sponsored launch in 1999. The most recent launch was in 2018.

• Ghana – In 2017, GhanaSat-1 satellite, was shot into space from the International Space Station, whiles the team back in Ghana watched from the All Nations university auditorium.

• Rwanda – In 2018, RWASAT1 nicknamed Icyerekezo, which loosely means ‘Vision’, was launched by the UK company OneWeb, in partnership with the Rwandan government.

• Kenya – In May 2018, Kenya launched its first satellite into orbit. The locally produced 4-inch CubeSat, was developed by a team at the University of Nairobi in partnership with the Japanese Space Agency.

• Angola – satellite Angosat-1, Launched by Russia on December 26, contact was lost with the device after it was put into orbit.

• Ethiopia – With Chinese assistance ETRSS-1 launched from China, as observatory team looks on from Addis Ababa, in 2019.

• Nigeria – Launched its first earth observation satellite, NigeriaSat-1, in September 2003. Followed by the launch of Africa’s first communications satellite, NigComSat-1, built and launched in China in 2007. Earth observation satellites NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X were then sent into orbit from a Russian military base in 2011.

• Algeria – Most recent launch was in 2017 of the Alcomsat-1, which began operating in 2018. In September 2016, three Algerian satellites – Alsat-1B, Alsat-2B and Alsat-1N were launched.

The African Development Satellite (AfDevSat) project

Who’s involved, where’s it happening, what is it for and who will benefit?

The African Development Satellite (AfDev-Sat) project is a joint initiative involving six African countries (Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sudan, and Uganda) to develop a satellite for Earth observation. The primary goal is to strengthen collaboration among African nations in developing indigenous space technology capabilities, as well as to enhance their technical skills and self-sovereignty in developing space systems. The project will address challenges like climate change monitoring, disaster management, and resource management in Africa and will help to eliminate or at least diminish situations regarding water scarcity, agricultural damage, droughts and rural poverty.

• Who - Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sudan, and Uganda.

• Where -

  • Location of the headquarters of AfSA: Egypt's Space City, on the outskirts of New Cairo Capital.

  • Location of the inaugural African Space Solution Market: Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

• What for -

  • The satellite will be used for climate change monitoring, disaster management, and resource management. Water scarcity, desertification, and food security, leading to the eventual elimination of Poverty.

  • AfDev-Sat aims to enhance human and technical capabilities in Africa's space industry by fostering knowledge sharing and capacity building. Thus, raising the standards of scientific literacy throughout the entire continent and encouraging sturdy bilateral relations, based on peaceful scientific collaboration and cultural betterment of the other.

  • Indigenous and sovereign Technology: The project aims to develop local satellite manufacturing, assembly, integration, and testing (MAIT) capabilities across the continent. This will increase the sovereignty for each and every nation to use these new technologies for the greater good of their own nations. Science and technology, developed by the African Aerospace industry, will be used to open up and increase the potential of every other industry. The knowledge gained, will be added to the past knowledge and all industries will be made more productive, using greater amounts of energy, yet produced by more effective and powerful processes, to therefore increase the abundance of energy and electricity in the national economic system.

  • Satellite features: The satellite will have two advanced camera payloads: a 7-meter resolution panchromatic camera and a 30-meter multispectral camera.

• Who Benefits -

  • Everyone in the entire world benefits.

Poverty is no longer possible, too many people and ideas to contain!

I would like to wrap this chapter up with a simple question - do we think, that living on Earth, with the largest, most resource rich, soon to be most populated and youngest standalone continent on Earth, with over 38% of its population living below the extreme poverty line, is even possible anymore?

It is not possible, it is not natural and it is not good by any measure. It lacks universal sense, it lacks agape, it lacks intelligence; to not engage and lift the minds of such a youth, that in turn, could revolutionize and rebirth, the lives of every soul on this planet. The youth of Africa, some of who are yet to be born, will represent, the next ancient-modern civilizational living process, after the Eurasian world-land bridge creation. They are to be gifted with the Promethean baton of fire, the next to unroll the Confucian mandate of heaven and maybe the last to do so, before we become that multi-polar, space-faring, humanist collection of nation-state civilizations, capable of travelling throughout the solar system, while calling home, on another planet.

One could argue, that an all-loving, all-knowing, all-mighty creator of creation itself, would be hard-pressed to let any of his children leave this home, without taking the others with you…

That is the mandate of heaven after all, for a rising tide, must lift all boats, not just one!

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Name: Cross-border Highway South Sudan-Ethiopia

Where: Paloch (Sudan) - Pagak (Ethiopia)

Type: Highway

Length: 220km

Cost: $738 million USD (Ethiopian Government Financed)

Contractor: Ethiopian Engineers and contractors

Construction start: 2025

Construction end: ?

Significance:

The ministry has said that the project aims to enhance connectivity and bolster economic ties between the two neighboring countries, underscoring the growing cooperation and mutually beneficial relationship between Ethiopia and South Sudan.

Ethiopia will cover the cost of the road project and the the deal designates South Sudan as the borrower and Ethiopia as the financier. The repayment involves trading crude oil from South Sudan to Ethiopia, boosting South-South economic cooperation.

The road will create access to the world market for South Sudan, because it will help it import manufactured goods and export its oil to those markets via Djibouti, which is connected to Ethiopia by a modern railway. Currently, South Sudanese trade flows through Mombasa, which is 1,700km away, making a significant difference in time taken to export and import goods.

During the signing ceremony in May 2023, President Salva Kiir of South Sudan said:

“Our hope is to move together to help one another; this is what our people want to see. This is a strategic project that connects our people and serves their needs.”

Project 2.

Name: Rabat Desalination Plant

Where: Rabat

Type: Desalination Plant

Size and Capacity: 822 million m3 a day or 300 million m3 annually - caters for 9 million people

Cost: $4 billion USD (Est)

Contractor: Veolia (France)

Construction start: ?

Construction end: ?

Significance:

As Morocco suffers its worst drought in 40 years, this has left reservoirs at historically low levels, threatening agriculture, drinking water supplies and more broadly, the country's economy. Seawater desalination is seen as an essential solution as part of the country's energy strategy.

French water specialist Veolia has agreed in principle, to build a desalination plant; the biggest in Africa and the second biggest in the world. The main outline of the deal has Veolia financing, designing and building the plant, and running it for 35 years.

The plant forms part of the Moroccan national energy strategy, launched by King Mohammed VI, which aims to strengthen water supply security and reduce the effects of drought on the country. The deal helps build towards the nation's National Water Plan, agreed in 2020, which set out an investment plan to restore water availability all over the country. King Mohammed VI also allocated an additional budget in support of the National Program for Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation 2020-2027 (a subset of the National Water Plan), which included plans for three new desalination plants.

The 9 million inhabitants, most positively affected by the plant will reside in the Rabat, Kénitra, and Fès regions of Morocco.

The World Resources Institute, ranks Morocco 22nd among countries facing water stress, owing to a combination of scarcity of rainfall, climate change, urbanization and population growth.

Estelle Brachlianoff, CEO of Veolia, told media:

"With a long history of partnership, we are thrilled and honored to write this new page with the Kingdom of Morocco and Moroccan citizens to meet the challenges related to the environment and water. We are fully aware of the urgency of the situation and proud to contribute to this major project, which will strengthen the country's water resilience." - "We will put the best of our international expertise and our long-standing presence in the region at the service of the Kingdom for a reference project in terms of performance and sustainability."

Project 3. - Completion Report

Name: John Magufuli Bridge

Where: Mwanza, Lake Victoria, Tanzania

Type: Highway Bridge

Length + Capacity: 4.7km - incl 520m low-pylon cable-stayed section + 120km/h dual carriageway

Cost: $260 million USD

Contractor: China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) + China Railway 15th Bureau (China)

Construction start: 2019

Construction end + Official opening: 23.05.25 + 19.06.25

Significance:

The John Magufuli Bridge, named after the late great President, who passed just recently in 2021; has been completed. Now recognized as the longest bridge in East and Central Africa; this bridge marks the arrival of a new era for the transport network of Tanzania and East Africa and will significantly open up access to the Lake Victoria region in the west of the country. In addition to the main span of 3km, the project includes 1.66 kilometers of connecting roads, significantly improving regional connectivity.

The Bridge is located in Mwanza, the second largest region by population in Tanzania with an area of 25,233 km² (9,743 sq mi), of which 13,437 km² (5,188 sq mi) is water and 11,796 km² (4,554 sq mi) dry land. Mwanza Region is also home to Ukerewe Island, the largest lake island in Africa, making this region a special one for culture and tourism.

Economically speaking the bridge will cut the travel time for trade cargo and tourist automobiles, on their journey through the region. Cars travelling from Kenya to Rwanda or from Arusha, Tanzania to Burundi, will have a shorter distance and duration to travel and it is because in Mwanza, there is a very large gulf running inland to the south from the lake and it causes a very large detour when travelling the region in general. One must either take a ferry across the gulf or drive over an hour around the gulf to get to the other side, meaning you also must drive away from the lake. With a pedestrian crossing being built alongside the road, this bridge opens up the other side of the gulf to the increase of new townships rising up, while commerce and tourist activities spring up alongside these developments. The population will increase and the people will look to Mwanza as a city to live and work in, with such a magnificent piece of infrastructure to aid their everyday lives. Whether it be in commercial or social activities, the standard and ease of living is greatly increased and all in one of the most beautiful regions of Tanzania.

Finally, this Bridge will soon link up with Tanzania’s new SGR railway network, that is currently on its way to Mwanza. So far, the contractors for the SGR, Yapi Merkezi, have completed phases one and two, from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma. On 1 August 2024, President of Tanzania, Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, officially launched the highly anticipated Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Project and took the first train some 700kms from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma, the new state capital. It was recently announced, that construction on the phase 5 Mwanza–Isaka section, had reached 63% completion and is due to be completed sometime in early 2026. The entire 2000km line, should be operational by 2028 latest and will open up the incredible terrain of Tanzania, like never before!

A Multi-Polar Economy needs a Multi-Polar Security Architecture

The Alliance des États Sahels have laid their political mandate down to the world; it states clearly that they are a politically sovereign confederation of nation-states and from here on, will take independent decisions and action on their security situation, political relations and economic policies. The future has definitively changed, because of this very present and fast developing event that has shaken the stagnant corridors of the African Union and other mysteriously quiet presidential houses around the continent. The plantation managers that run ECOWAS for their western masters, have piped down from their previously aggressive threats of military invasion and are now showing signs of sanity, thanks to the incredible response from the African youth towards the AES and especially towards the new iconic figure of Cpt. Ibrahim Traoré. What initially appeared as a messy and chaotic situation; the Junta led coup d'états that occurred in the three countries quickly organized themselves into political accordance with one another and it was actually the outside attacks from France, U.S.A and their ECOWAS puppets, that in many respects forced the group to unify the way it has.

This all leads us to this present moment, some three years down the timeline since these major changes took place in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger and we now begin to see the true Pan-African intentions behind this Confederation. A national economic plan is beginning to arise from the ashes of this revolution for the people and the military leaders that represent their call are taking foundational action for future prosperity. First though, security is the call of the day because without it, physical economic development can not take place and that development, is the key to ridding any nation of poverty and extremism for the long term. Poverty will always lead to large groups of vulnerable people and it is often those unfortunate souls, that are pulled into this vicious and well funded web of global extremism. This ideological scourge must be brought to a dramatic and total defeat, it must be wiped from the very face of our planet and the powers that be who fund it, must also be utterly and totally defeated. China and Russia already understand the gravity of the situation; for this new multi-polar sovereign paradigm to fully emerge victorious, it will need to realize the erasure of global terrorism and restore global security and order. An almighty task it may seem but certainly possible and China has just the formula; A shared future for the human community defined by four Global initiatives -

• The Global Development Initiative

• The Global Security Initiative

• The Global Civilization Initiative

• The Global A.I Governance Initiative

The fact of the matter is this; MICIMATT and NATO operators unleashed the violent and illegal invasion of Libya and the murder of the now legendary Pan-African icon, Muammar al-Qaddafi and in doing so, sent a horde of weapons into the hands of extremists and terrorist groups. These groups have done their duty for their masters and have launched a proxy continental war on the Sahel nations and it will take the full coordination of the Sovereigns, China and Russia, to sort it out. Under a multi-polar alliance with BRICS+ nations at the fore of these initiatives, it is possible to bring the world out of NATO-stan terrorist chaos and into an open system multipolar development that focuses on the uplifting of other civilizations, alongside major powers like China and Russia. These two super-parents of the world, are guarantors of this new paradigm and can physically provide the global security for the physical economic development of the Global South. They can create the security architecture for the poor colonially landlocked Sahel nations to get out from under the western controlled coastal nations umbrella (ECOWAS), to form regional confederations like the AES. To add to this, technical assistance is already in full flow between Russia and the AES, Central African Republic, Chad, Sudan and others, with the potential offer of increased physical military assistance somewhere down the near-term road. One of the world’s most liked diplomats - Sergey Lavrov, spelled out the details on his most recent meeting with the AES. Here are the listed agreements:

• Four-way meetings of the foreign ministers of Russia and the Alliance of Sahel States (Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali), will be held on an annual basis.

• Russia would be willing to facilitate the creation of the Alliance of Sahel States’ joint armed forces.

• A considerable number of Russian advisers operate in the Alliance of Sahel States’ territory.

• Russia regards the creation of the Alliance of Sahel States as a drive to establish new security architecture in the region.

• Moscow is ready to provide comprehensive defense, security and economic assistance to the Alliance of Sahel States.

• Ukraine supports terrorists in the Sahel, and the West condones it.

When the AES have reorganized what will end up becoming a 200,000 strong regional army, Russia could, and most likely will provide the necessary physical backup in the air and even at sea, to grind the NATO-stan terrorist structure into tiny grains of sand and to scatter those grains like ashes, into the golden Saharan desert. The poem of the great Percy Shelley - Ozymandias - springs to mind, only that this king never really built anything in these deserts, he only sought to control what was under the sand…

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National Economic Development is the true revolution

My obituary for NATO is complete and i will duly move forward on a much more optimistic front from now on and not without sound and solid reason to back it up. The area of economics leaves little room for sentiment and can offer us real insights into what the day to day future standard of living can look like. It can offer us true intrinsic hope that is based on previously discovered economic principles, like the scientific development of ones national resources for both the education and uplifting of a national culture and also the economy and levels of prosperity too. I mostly agree that poverty is an infection of the mind that stems from an individual or nation lacking belief in their capacity for discovery and creativity. It is important for any nation to have an aristocracy in power whom has the fundamental belief that one; all humans are made in the living image of God and therefore all citizens of your nation are equally capable of making significant creative contributions to the nation and the world. Important contributions in the Arts, Culture, Science, Agriculture, Architecture, Engineering, Digital Technology and A.I, are all ways of glorifying the nation and focus on bettering yourself for the greater good of the other, rather than trying to conquer the other. This has essentially created the foundation for what China has achieved in the last half century, as they have been the most successful nation in uplifting the fortune of their people. They have benefitted from investing in their own, rather than investing in foreign wars and the invasions of other nations. In 1981 the percentage of people living in poverty stood at a rather drastic 88%, compared with 0% today and this is with an even more stringent benchmark of less than US$2.30 a day, than the World Banks’ 2011 rate of less than $1.90 a day (currently US$2.15 a day, still not at China’s higher mark). China has shown the world what is possible with good governance for their own domestic population and have de-facto proved that their model is a good model for the eradication of poverty. This is enticing nations like the AES, to question their own model of governance and it could very well lead to a very well organized and governed confederation in the future. So that being the assumed case, lets take a look at the exciting economic prospects for this young budding Confederation of Pan-African Sovereigns…

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The Economic action - 2020-2025

The AES have announced together, the creation of a single AES currency, a unified AES passport, a unified AES Flag and a collective AES military.

Mali -

1. In the field of education, the "Sikasso university recently welcomed its first students. Work is ongoing so that the universities of Kayes, Gao, Tombouctou, and Badiagara can be operational again."

2. Survey data from pan-African research network Afrobarometer and the Mali-Métre survey, run by Germany’s Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung since 2012, indicate high levels of satisfaction with junta rule. In the 2024 Mali-Métre, nine out of ten respondents considered the country to be moving in the right direction. Meanwhile, 70% of Malians identified combating insecurity as their highest priority while data from Mali-Métre 2024, suggest Goïta enjoys an approval rating (96 per cent).

3. Mali has cleared its national debt, signaling a new era of financial independence for the West African nation. Goïta’s administration has been focused on reducing Mali’s dependency on international financial assistance while navigating complex economic and security challenges. This debt repayment is a testament to his administration's commitment to fiscal responsibility, economic reform, and sovereignty.

4. Mali, under General Assimi Goïta's reign officially becomes the first African nation to be debt free. When General Assimi Goïta took over, he sold all the assets belonging to the corrupt elites & sent them to jail including former president's son & Ministers.

5. Mali’s Transparency International Corruption Perception Index score decreased to 29% in 2021.

6. Mali faced weaker-than-expected growth in 2022, according to the African Development Bank. GDP growth was expected to increase by 3.2% in 2022 but only grew by 2.1%. In 2021, GDP per capita grew by 0.1%, revealing a slow recovery from COVID-19. GDP growth was estimated at 4.0% for 2024, significant growth and a quick turnaround.

7. In a recent speech to the nation, Col. Assimi Goïta also outlined a vision of future prosperity, listing some developments in the agricultural and social fields. He mentioned an increased budget devolved to local governments. In 2024, "they received 440 billion CFA francs from 412 billion the previous year.”

   

8. Kodal Minerals announced, on February 7, 2025, the production of the first concentrate of lithium spodumene in its Bougouni factory. This new development marks the beginning of a large-scale industrial activity. With a factory now operational 24/7, the country confirms itself as a strategic player in the global lithium market. To add to the industry, China’s Gangfeng Lithium Group plans to buyout a lithium mine in Goulamina, Mali.

   

9. Mali’s reforms to the mining and investment codes, as well as initiatives to reform the tax codes, which have yet to be fully implemented, have been welcomed as necessary steps for improving the business environment.

10. Reforming Mali’s mining sector: Goïta has arrested foreign gold smugglers and has dismantled illegal mining sites. His government is making a state owned mine for gold exploration as well, and the state will take ownership stakes in mines that foreign firms are operating in. Barrick Gold of Canada was recently bought out of their mining operations in Mali. Under the terms of the deal, Barrick Gold agreed to pay about $438 million USD to Mali. Barrick's Mali mine shutdown follows gold confiscation worth $318 million USD.

11. 2024 also saw the launch of the general agricultural census that should "pave the way for a digitalization of farms". Efforts in the "hydro-agricultural planning continue" in order to "sustainably harness the full potential of the Niger and Senegal rivers".

12. Nationalization of textiles: The government has renationalized a formerly privatized state owned firm - COMATEX, a textile manufacturer

    

13. The economic results in 2022 were buoyed by a strong cotton harvest of 800,000 tonnes for the full tax-year, which allowed the country to reclaim the title of the biggest African producer of cotton.

14. Col. Assimi Goïta said that "Numerous solar power plants are in the works" as the country seeks to find the optimal "energy mix" to "boost its electricity access".

15. Goïta's government has all but terminated ties with France and has shifted towards Russia, seeking to replace Western influence with Russian support. French military were asked to leave the country in 2022, after a 9 year “occupation" and duly complied.

16. Russia’s Africa Corps provides site security, private intelligence, aircraft, aerial radar, and information warfare which protects Mali civilians and the government from terrorism. In return, Russia’s Africa Corps is requesting access to gold mining in Mali as compensation and wishes to build a gold refinery in the capital, Bamako. The refinery, which will have a capacity of 200 tonnes of gold per year, is intended to help Mali control its gold production and correctly apply taxes and duties. Mining Technology reported that the refinery is expected to be one of the largest in West Africa when built.

17. Thereafter, Mali has achieved major success in pushing back and defeating the G5-aided terrorist scourge. Goïta celebrated the "progressive return of basic public services and key infrastructures" in the cities of Ber, Tessalit, Anéfis, Kidal and Aguelhok. He credited the restored sovereignty over these cities to the "stabilization operations" led by the Malian military. The country has been fighting for over a decade Islamist terrorist groups. Separatists groups in recent years started to work in sync with terrorist groups.

18. Goïta has requested attack drones from Turkey. In December 2024, Mali has acquired Turkish-made Akinci drones, along with the previously acquired Bayraktar TB2 drones. The drones are intended to help Mali's armed forces in their fight against armed groups, including separatist and Islamist insurgencies, in the northern region.

    

Burkina Faso -

1. Cashew Processing Plant.

2. Cotton Processing Plant.

3. SOFATO Tomato Processing Factory, SOBTO Tomato Processing Factory and Tenkodogo tomato processing factory (under construction). As a result, tomato production increased from 315,000 tonnes in 2022 to 360,000 tonnes in 2024.

4. Milk processing plants: five to be built in five cities. One has already been completed and opened in the capital. Butter, cheese, yoghurt, milk are the products.

5. A wheat flour factory (a PPP Project) + Wheat and rice productions have significantly increased. Millet production rose from 907,000 tonnes in 2022 to 1.1 million tonnes in 2024, while rice production increased from 280,000 tonnes in 2022 to 326,000 tonnes in 2024.

6. A company producing fertilizers and other agricultural inputs backed by scientific research centers in the field + Massive amounts of agricultural machinery acquired for agricultural development.

7. A Cement Factory (a PPP project).

8. 55 Medical centers are being built in all rural areas.

9. Polytechnic University (under construction).

10. Scholarships for Nuclear Science: Traoré negotiated and obtained with Russia a scholarship program for Burkina students to study nuclear science in Russia as Burkina is building its first nuclear power plant. The program is starting this coming academic year.

11. Nuclear Power Plant (project ongoing). It's being executed by the Russian giant Rosatom and a new dam is under construction.

12. Road construction: massive road constructions aiming to pave 5000 kms per year. It's worth noting that the entire country had only 3000+ kms of paved roads since independence up to the present day (more than 60 years).

13. New public transportation buses + a new company called Faso Rail for the manufacturing of train rails.

14. Donsin International Airport: an old project that was almost stopped because of corruption. Traoré restructured everything, and the airport is soon to be completed + with Air Burkina: Traoré bought a new airplane and revived the company

    

15. Stadium renovated: the main stadium in Burkina Faso was shut down for almost 5 years now. FIFA and CAF ruled that it doesn't meet the International standards.. Under Traoré, it has been renovated to the International standards. It will soon be opened.

16. A big and modern Business center (under construction). It's called Burkindi Business Center. In the capital Ouagadougou.

17. Two Data Centers for digital industries like A.I. (under construction).

18. An electric car company: its called ITAOUA (name of a small village in Burkina). It's a private company but Traoré's administration has facilitated things for the entrepreneur. Just a few months after coming to power, Traoré said that Burkina Faso will have an electric car manufacturing plant.

19. Tema Multi Purpose Terminal: part of Tema Port of Ghana. Traoré bought it for $70 million USD. It's a hydrocarbon storage facility and it will ensure uninterrupted fuel supply to Burkina Faso.

20. SONHABY: the state company distributing fuel in Burkina. Its storage capacity has been significantly increased by building new facilities.

21. Two big gold mines nationalized and the export of Raw Gold was banned. A Gold Reserve was created: Burkina Faso has never had gold reserve before. New mining sector regulations to ensure total control of the sector by the state and in addition to this, Burkina Faso’s first Gold refinery is under construction.

22. Banque Postal du Burkina Faso - BPBF (a government owned bank to finance small businesses).

23. The Thomas Sankara Mausoleum (to be inaugurated on May 17, 2025)

    

24. A military academy (announced on May 14, 2024 after Traoré's visit to Russia).

25. Army restructured, and state of art equipment acquired. A state of the art mobile clinic for the army too while a local company has been setup for manufacturing army military uniforms that used to be manufactured abroad.

26. Under Traoré, vast areas of the country that were controlled by terrorist organizations, have been and continue to be liberated.

27. Traoré paid off local debts (the last batch was paid end of March 2025).

28. Burkina Faso’s GDP has increased with 5.1% growth in 2024, up from 3.0% in 2023. In 2024 it was $21.86 billion USD, then in 2023 it recorded $20.32 billion USD, up from $18.82 billion USD in 2022, the year Traoré took power. The three previous years before, the GDP was $16.03 billion USD, $17.73 billion USD and $19.64 billion USD for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021 respectively.

29. Good Governance: In 2024, Burkina ranked 9th best governed country in Africa and 3rd in West Africa. Ranking made by World Economic Governance Index 2024.

30. Unprecedented anti-corruption reforms implemented in the administration. This is one reason Burkina scored high in the good Governance ranking. We note that the well known Mo Ibrahim Foundation, did not include Burkina in its top performing presidents for one reason; it does not recognize presidents who came to power by a coup, otherwise, Traoré would have made it to the list.

31. Cultural restoration - School Uniform: All school uniforms are from a locally made fabric called Faso Danfani while the gowns of judges and lawyers are now made of Faso Danfani also.

For more info on Burkina Faso and Ibrahim Traoré’s economic achievements, check my first article on the subject…

Niger -

1. Since assuming power in mid-2023, President Abdourahamane Tchiani has emerged as a transformative leader for Niger. His governance has brought tangible improvements to ordinary citizens and achievements that have silenced doubters.

2. In Niger, the main exports are Uranium (75% of total GDP), Gold, Petroleum products and Agricultural products. The Minister of Trade has banned the export of Uranium and Gold to France specifically, nowhere else yet. A total trade ban is in effect on the livestock trade of sheep, goats, cattle, and camels. This is to support domestic food prices.

3. In November 2023, Niger commissioned the construction of a $6 billion USD pipeline linking its southeastern oilfields to the port in Benin. The 2,000km pipeline, (making it is the longest pipeline in Africa) with an export capacity of 90,000 barrels per day, offers Niger a vital new revenue stream. The pipeline was built and is operated by the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC). It was built between 2019–23, with exports initially expected to begin in January 2024. After a border closure dispute between Niger and Benin was resolved thanks to Chinese mediation, exports through the pipeline began in May 2024. Authorities believe oil exports could eventually account for 25% of Niger’s GDP and contribute half of the country’s tax revenues. Unfortunately, the pipeline was closed again after just one shipment of oil. On June 16, 2024 an attack by a rebel group opposed to the Nigerien military junta damaged the pipeline, likely a covert operation, organized by a foreign actor to stymy their progress.

   

4. Niger's economy grew by about 11.9% in 2022, becoming one of the fastest growing economies in the world, supported by the recovery in agricultural production after the severe drought in 2021. Niger’s economy, which slowed to 4.1% GDP growth in 2023, is forecast to recover significantly with 10.4% GDP growth in 2024. This was largely due to 48.5% boost in exports, particularly oil. The average growth over the next five years is expected to be 7.5%, with the implementation of other large-scale projects coming online.

5. Additionally, the current account deficit dropped from 9.3% to 6.2% of GDP, marking stronger fiscal health.

6. In under two years, over 260,000 Nigeriens have risen out of poverty, reflecting General Tchiani’s commitment to inclusive development.

7. The Military ordered both French and US troops to leave the West African country. France has since announced the withdrawal of its troops from Niger in 2023. On 25 August, the junta ordered French ambassador Sylvain Itté to leave the country within 48 hours while the US has also withdrawn its forces since last September, 2024.

8. The Minister of the Interior, Public Security, and Territorial Administration, Brigadier General Mohamed Toumba, granted an audience, followed by a working session, this Thursday, May 8, 2025, to a delegation from the Islamic Republic of Iran, with the focus of discussions on developing cooperation in the fight against insecurity. The delegation is led by Brigadier General Ahmed Rezaei Radan, Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Law Enforcement and Security Forces on a working mission in Niger. To this end, discussions focused on training, the sharing of information and experience in the fight against crime, terrorism, serious crime, border control, and drug trafficking. Following the discussions, it was agreed to establish a committee of experts that will meet annually, alternating between the two countries. It was also decided to send elements of the Nigerien Police and National Guard for training at the Iranian Police University in Tehran.

9. After taking control of Uranium mines previously utilized by French company Orano, sales of Uranium have been nationalized it seems and Iran and Niger have covertly organized the sale of 300 tonnes of uranium to Iran for $56 Million USD.

10. Before the 2023 military coup, Niger earned just about $1 billion USD annually from its vast uranium reserves, despite being one of the world’s top suppliers. Most of the profits went to foreign companies, especially French-owned Orano, under long-standing contracts dating back to colonial times. As a result of these changes, Niger reportedly stands to earn over $300 billion USD from its uranium sector in the coming years—a massive economic transformation.

11. Niamey still supports Global Atomic, a Canadian company, for its Dasa uranium mine project. Unlike GoviEx, another Canadian company, which has not made substantial progress on its Madaouela uranium project despite attracting over $200 million USD in financing interest, Global Atomic has already begun constructing the Dasa mine.

12. “If Traore can achieve success for Burkina Faso, it is also feasible in Niger.” - Niger President Abdourahamane Tchiani remarks after signing a joint venture agreement with Suvarna Royal Gold Trading LLC, an Emirati company, to establish the country's first gold refinery and gemstone processing units in Niamey. This partnership will result in the construction of a gold refinery, jewelry manufacturing unit, and gemstone cutting and polishing center in Niger.

13. Niger begins manufacturing its own military vehicles - A 100% Nigerien military buggy, manufactured in Niamey by a team of local engineers, was presented to the Chief of Staff. Designed for the Sahelian terrain, this all-terrain vehicle showcases the expertise and ingenuity of Niger.

    

    ---

    An AES Pan-African Economy - The Africans set course for the new port of unification

The AES has already achieved what so few have managed in the decades gone past and that is the revival of the Pan-African spirit in the youth of Africa. A spirit of defiant sovereignty and a will to prove their own capacity to develop, is emerging quickly and Africans continent-wide, are standing up to demand access to their resources. They are the necessary force to support the leaders of the three nations of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, so that they can push their own elites to unite under that same quality of leadership. These three nations and especially the towering figure of Ibrahim Traoré, have been given the spiritual mandate from the African youth, to lead all other African governments to a sovereign and economically independent future; a future where foreign control or hegemonic ambitions have been totally halted and erased, to be replaced with a just, equitable and honest relationship with the world arena. One where Africans are not afraid to stand up for their interests in every regard, whether political, cultural or economical.

This AES harbor is quickly pulling others into dock and they are changing the essential security situation in the Sahel. I can assure you, that soon that battle with the NATO-stan terrorists will be won and the AES nations will go on to develop new industries at lightspeed, without such horrific distractions. Then everyone in the world will know, that not only can Russia, China and Iran withstand the attacks of the Globalist Unipolar NATO Hegemon, but the Pan-African AES revival can too and this will open the door to the entire continent throwing of its colonial shackles, once and for all!

Welcome to the African economic renaissance, brought to you by the Alliance des États Sahels…

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To be continued in Part three - The AES that Cheikh Anta Diop foresaw - An economic renaissance is begun - A Political and Economic analysis from 2025-30.

Name: Multi-road project - China for the Democratic Republic of Congo

Where: DRC

Type: 1.City Ring road - 2.Paved Highway - 3.Border road

Length: 1. 63km 2. 900km 3. 230km

Cost: 1. $300 million USD 2. N/A 3. N/A - Final investment = $7 billion USD

Contractor: Sinohydro + China Railway Group (China)

Construction start: 31.07.2024

Construction end: ?

Significance:

In February 2024, China reorganized an investment fund with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) after the DRC government felt that the prior deal, negotiated 16 years ago by the Kabila administration, was not completed in good faith. The renegotiated $7 billion USD deal, that swaps infrastructure for a share in the country’s copper and cobalt mines, is a much more equitable agreement and will see the DRC get access to world class infrastructure and forge a path to prosperity. The first three projects of this multi billion dollar agreement are all in the the road construction area, as that is the most pressing issue for DRC currently, paved roads.

1. Kinshasa, a city of 17 million inhabitants, will realize a 63km ring road for the first time in its history. Reducing city traffic, increasing ease of doing business, increasing security and saving the population time, energy and money.

2. In the resource rich region of Lualaba, the two companies will widen and pave a 900km dirt road that stretches along the N1 highway between the villages of Mbuji Mayi and Nguba. The N1 highway links Kinshasa with Lubumbashi, the DRC’s mining capital. This will enable the central government to increase control and sovereignty over their mining resources, it will speed up the flow of goods and trade, the road will significantly benefit the lives of the people living in the cities at both ends. The 17 million in Kinshasa will save considerable time in their trip to Lubumbashi, another fast growing city with 2,934,000 people, growing at a 4.34% annual rate. Currently the entire trip ranges 2304km and takes some 40 hours, which gives us an average car speed of 57.6kmh. The 900km section of road will enable higher speed travel and will allow cars to travel at 90kmh. The 2304km with 900km of new paved road will reduce the hours by 5.5 at least, bringing the entire trip down from 40 hours to 34.5! This road seriously opens up access to the southern regions of DRC.

   

3. A third scheme to get under way is an upgrade of the 230km road between Kananga and Kalamba Mbuji, which goes to the border with Angola. It’s needed to transport mined products to Angola’s ports and will speed up the flow of trade for other industries too. It will increase security at the border and will facilitate the flow of local people and tourists while increasing cultural exchanges.

The DRC supplies more than 60% of China’s cobalt for use in batteries for EVs and electronics, making the African country a player in Chinese manufacturing. These are win-win relationships in action. Resources for Infrastructure, is a great way to get the nation onto the physical economic platform it needs to revolutionize its economy and standards of living for its people. DRC has a capital issue when trying to build infrastructure and so these funding agreements go a long way in speeding up DRC’s industrialization potential. Watch this space for more pivotal projects to be announced soon…

Speaking at the ring-road groundbreaking ceremony, China’s ambassador to the DRC, Zhao Bin, said the agreement was -

“a road to prosperity for the Congo and the Congolese people” - “As the first project of the new phase of Sino-Congolese cooperation ‘resources for projects’, I am confident that it will become a new landmark of Kinshasa and a new symbol of Sino–Congolese cooperation in infrastructure”.

Project 2.

Name: The standard gauge Trans-Gabon Railway - second phase of modernization

Where: Gabon

Type: Train

Length and Capacity: 230km to be modernized out of the total 650km - 10 million tonnes of freight and some 230,000 passengers in 2023.

Cost: €545 million Euros

Contractor: Société d’exploitation du Transgabonais (Setrag) owned by Compagnie Minière de l’Ogooué - subsidiary of Eramet (France)

Construction start: 01.12.24

Construction end: ?

Significance:

The standard gauge Trans-Gabon Railway covers 650km between the Port of Owendo, near the capital city of Libreville, and Franceville, Gabon’s third city and the center of its mining industry. The agreement covers a 200km stretch from Milolé to the Franceville terminus and work will also be carried out on a 30km central section between Ndjolé and Alembé. The aim of the modernization is to reduce operating costs, improve reliability and restore the capacity of the track, increasing both cargo operations and passenger numbers. A number of improvements will be made such as sections of new track and the replacement of wooden sleepers with concrete versions.

Reconstruction work on the first modernization project which was the western section, between Owendo and Ndjolé, is nearing completion. An estimated €350m Euros has been spent on the modernization of 300km track.

Setrag is a private company owned by the Compagnie Minière de l’Ogooué, which is a subsidiary of French mining group Eramet, the world’s second largest manganese exporter. Under the concession agreement, Setrag began operating the line in 2005, and will continue until 2035, at which time, the operations of the line may well be handed back over to the government. The renovated line will open up travel and accessibility for Gabon in what will become a major tourism boon!

Project 3.

Name: East–West or Douala-Yaoundé Motorway - second phase

Where: Douala to Bibodi - Cameroon

Type: Motorway

Length: 141km

Cost: $1.5 billion USD

Contractor: China First Highway Engineering Corporation (China)

Construction start: 01.11.24

Construction end: 01.11.27

Significance:

Cameroon views this road as essential to the development of the economy and have contracted China to speed up the development of its roads in general after the great work performed on the recently completed 60km phase one. It was during last month’s Sino-African forum, that President Biya of Cameroon urged Beijing to allocate more investment to Cameroon’s roads so as to speed up national economic development. China generously agreed and so we see the beginning of an even larger section in phase two.

As well as improving communications between the country’s two largest cities, the link will accelerate economic, social and cultural integration throughout the region. This includes the trade corridors northeast to N'Djamena in Chad, east to Bangui in the Central African Republic and south to Brazzaville in the Republic of the Congo.

Yaoundé has a population of 4,509,000 while Douala is even larger, given the port access, at roughly 5,066,000, according to Macrotrends. Roughly 30% of the population lives in just these two cities and with the smaller cities and towns in between them, we can estimate that this motorway will accommodate daily travel for more than 50% of Cameroons population.

The spirit of Sankara is reborn - History has a theme and variation

While many of you may know the legendary man, Thomas Sankara, for those of you who don’t, we should quickly pass through the simple layers of his story. It is a short story and it shares similar dynamics with many immortal figures, such as Joan of Arc; his story like hers, was brief, courageous, honorable, victorious and finally tragic too, and yet still hope was won for the future generations. So let’s begin…

In 1983, Thomas Sankara rose to lead the Upper Volta region and immediately renamed the former colony. The young nation of Burkina Faso (means 'the land of upright people' in Mooré and Dyula languages) rose up from the ashes to find itself with many unresolved problems inherited from the previous administrations that were more interested in guarding the halls of power for France, rather than use those halls for the organization of a prosperous economy for their people. Sankara, who had previously worked as a government minister, in Information and media, saw his moment to shine and shine he did, when he won the reins of power from those he considered most corrupt and more than that, beholden to foreign interests. Upon his arrival as the first President of Burkina Faso, he made rapid progress and it was all thanks to the humanist policies that he activated on a national scale:

• Famine prevention and agrarian expansion.

• Land reform.

• One of the strongest defenders of Women’s rights in all of History. Gave many powerful speeches on the importance, dignity and respect for women in society. Progressively increased female access to Education, activity in the Labor market and Politics, while enforcing the prohibition of female circumcision, forced marriages and polygamy.

• His Popular Revolutionary Tribunals prosecuted public officials charged with graft, political crimes and corruption, considering such elements in the state as counter-revolutionaries and traitors of the nation.

• Sankara reinforced his populist image by ordering the sale of luxury vehicles and properties owned by the government in order to reduce costs. In addition, he banned what he considered the luxury of air conditioning in government offices, and homes of politicians.

• He combatted desertification of the Sahel by planting more than 10 million trees.

• Suspending rural poll taxes.

• Nationwide literacy campaign.

• Built schools, Health centers, Water reservoirs, Roads and other major infrastructure projects.

  ---

And yet the authenticity and the future of our revolution depends on women. Nothing definitive or lasting can be accomplished in our country as long as a crucial part of ourselves is kept in this condition of subjugation — a condition imposed . . . by various systems of exploitation.

- Thomas Sankara

Thomas Sankara was an enemy of the Western colonial powers for all of the above reasons and importantly, because he was a staunch defender of African sovereignty with his revolutionary programmes and reforms, that made him a hero to many of Africa's poverty-stricken nations. The President was massively popular with a substantial majority of his citizens, as well as those living outside of Burkina Faso. Of course, many of his policies angered elements of the former ruling class, while the government of France and its African ally, the Ivory Coast, interfered on multiple occasions before finally having success with the man’s best friend, Blaise Compaoré, the man who had helped him come to power in the previous coup d'état. Bought and paid for, Compaoré didn’t skip a beat and dutifully followed his foreign masters orders. On 15th October 1987, Thomas Sankara was deposed in a violent coup d'état; he was murdered under the orders of Compaoré. The great man had to be killed for his passion, but his lesson and spirit remained and would one day inspire another.

Unfortunately, Blaise Compaoré stayed in power until the 2014 Burkina Faso uprising; a 27 year dictatorship backed by France, leaving Burkina Faso utterly underdeveloped and its people in poverty. The BBC noted in 2014, that he was - 'the strongest ally to France and the United States in the region', pretty telling indeed. In 2021, he was formally charged with and found guilty for the murder of Thomas Sankara by a military tribunal. Nowadays, he lives in exile in the Ivory Coast, where two of his fellow westernized presidential puppets formerly ruled or currently rule - Mr. Félix Houphouët-Boigny and the IMF trained, President Alassane Ouattara…

Traoré carries in him the spirit of Thomas Sankara and you can look back to my most recent article to compare all of his present day achievements with the immortal man. Traoré is young, stable, intelligent, wise beyond his years and has the potential to achieve a whole lot more than his spiritual ancestor, if he hasn’t already…

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Traoré and the AES confederation

The Alliance of Sahel States is the new confederation in West Africa, they are the new Pan-African spirited leaders in town, made up of three nation states that are the modern-day successors to the once golden Malian Empire; Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. With this confederation, we witness the arrival of a true Pan-African actor that has the sovereign character to confront the problematic reality of neo-colonial extortion and political interference coming from the former colonial countries. They have the mandate to restore security to the region, a region terrorized by proxy extremist groups acting on behalf of the western powers that formerly claimed to be defeating them. Now, with sovereignty over their borders intact and facing the enormous challenge of providing security to an area that reaches around 2,760,000 km2 (making it the largest African country by area, 8th in the world); they can defeat terrorism with a united military backed by Russia, can take back their national resources and begin to industrialize the nation and can claim their position as a new visionary leader on the continent.

With these achievements in hand they will have the geopolitical weight to pull other nations into alignment as we already see with the likes of potential new coastal member, Togo, or the recent cooperation of Nigeria (a massive turnaround for Tinubu), or the wonderful scenes of Ghana’s cooperation in pretty much all areas; Mahama seems to have a particular liking for Traoré. There are talks between the AES and Sudanese military, while Tanzania and Morocco are looking to get in on the action too with offers of cooperation in trade, agriculture, mining, education, health, etc. Morocco signed a regional agreement with AES so they could secure access to the Atlantic Ocean; essential given that they are all landlocked nations, while Tanzania, has brought a very specific proposal to the table, in terms of South-South knowledge transfer; the area of Cardiology. The Tanzanian Heart Institute is a world-leading institute and they are offering to train cardiologists for the provision of high quality healthcare back in Burkina Faso and the wider AES by default!

Traoré carries significance everywhere he goes at the moment, in fact, the man is already a walking icon and gets a very impressive reception wherever he goes. The first major consideration comes from the big bear herself, Russia and more importantly, her leader - President Vladimir Putin, has found himself an apprentice it seems. This teacher-student like relationship that is rapidly building between them, was recently made most evident by Traoré’s surprising appearance at the Russian Victory Day parade in Moscow, this May 8th, where cameras kept panning over Putin or Xi’s shoulder, to find the young man standing tall in military attire, proud to represent his nation. Upon sharing a formal bilateral meeting with Traoré and his Burkinabe government ministers after the parade, Putin opened the meeting with a very welcoming message; here are the important parts -

I remember our constructive and productive conversation when you first visited our country in 2023 to participate in the Russia–Africa Summit in St Petersburg. Your current visit to Russia to attend celebrations of the 80^th anniversary of Victory is deeply symbolic and reflects the friendly nature of the Russia-Burkina Faso relations.

I would also like to mention your country’s contribution to defeating German Nazism and its satellites. About 30,000 people from modern-day Burkina Faso fought as part of the anti-Hitler Coalition, in the Free France formations led by the legendary son of the French people General Charles de Gaulle.

We will continue to help the Republic in restoring the rule of law and constitutional order and to assist in suppressing the radical groups that are still active in certain parts of Burkina Faso.

Over the past two years, we have made significant progress in expanding mutually beneficial cooperation across various areas. In late 2023, after a pause that lasted over 30 years, the Russian Embassy in Ouagadougou resumed its operations. A regular political dialogue was established. Work is under way to create an intergovernmental commission. A dedicated working group was formed in late 2024.

We will continue to help your country in training national personnel. The Russian government scholarship quota for Burkinabe citizens has been more than doubled for the 2024–2025 academic year. This year, we are prepared to take 27 more students from your country. The tuition will be covered from Russia’s federal budget. In all, about 3,500 students from Burkina Faso received their education in Russia.

Cooperation in healthcare and sanitation holds a lot of promise. On April 24–25, Ms. Popova visited Ouagadougou. We are ready to carry out joint scientific research, develop laboratory infrastructure, and train specialists.

We prioritize humanitarian aid to Burkina Faso as well. Last year, we shipped to your country 25,000 tonnes of wheat free of charge. This month, a large shipment of other foods will arrive in Ouagadougou.

Consultations between Russia and the Confederation of Sahel States have become a valuable new cooperation format. The first such meeting took place at the level of foreign ministers in Moscow in April.

Traoré’s reply, somewhat more natural and at ease and yet full of admiration and respect, was as follows -

I am honored to be able to take part in the Great Victory celebrations. I would like to thank you for the invitation. It is very symbolic for us. I must say that during this visit I learned a lot about the culture and history which were the foundation of the resistance of the Russian people. I learned about the sacrifices made by your people which made it a free nation today.

Today’s obstacles should not stop us. To some extent, these obstacles even play into our hands, because despite the sanctions that have been imposed against the Russian Federation by many countries, Russia occupies a prominent place in the international arena, and we take this into account, we understand that it is not easy.

I watched soldiers marching in front of us, I saw the military equipment, including tanks that took part in the Great Patriotic War, and I saw modern equipment as well. We would like cooperation between us to develop exponentially and to take new forms.

Today, I visited the Mendeleev Institute, and we understand that in addition to defence and security, there is another important sphere, namely, science and education. We would like Russia to help us educate our young people and teach them science, so that we can develop our own production, industry, and engineering, because it is very important for Africa.

We believe that the terrorism we are witnessing today comes from imperialism, and we are fighting it. If we put an end to this war, if we have a strong army, we will be able to engage in developing our homeland.

We would like to ask for help, and the main thing you can help us with is the transfer of technology and know-how. We need to understand how we can spread the universities that exist in Russia to Burkina Faso, how we can open university branches in Burkina Faso, to train our citizens, our students in a more practical way. This is our fundamental objective. We would like Burkina Faso to develop and for many students to come to us and to study science.

Honestly, I’m not in the least bit surprised that Putin has taken such a liking to the young leader. When one shows such an ability to chase away the colonialists, restore rule of law over the national resources and use that restoration for the economic benefit of the population, much in the same way Putin did recently over the SMO in Ukraine, then we can understand the affinity.

All boats return to the Harbor in a storm…

If one watches videos of Traoré’s reception at the new President of Ghana, John Mahama’s inauguration, one will see the sheer excitement of the people in attendance, by his presence. The crowd go wild to put it simply; like I said, this man is an icon already. Just think, right now this May 25th, people world over are demanding for his protection from foreign imperialism in the March for African Liberation Day that carries the subtitle - Walk with Traoré. Hashtags galore are trending with #HandsOfAfrica being the biggest one I know of so far and all of this reaction because American military talking parrots can’t keep their nose out of anyone’s domestic business. AFRICOM General Michael Langley stepped way out of touch with reality when he accused Traoré of using Burkina Faso's gold reserves for the junta's benefit rather than the nation's - “All the proceeds from Burkina Faso’s gold reserves are to protect the military junta regime.” Classic American hypocrisy enters the arena right on time to diminish its already crumbling standing in the world and without any foresight as to severe damage to the African-American bilateral relationship, a relationship that looked to be developing rapidly towards the stars in the 60’s under the JFK administration, only to land back firmly on the dust, after six decades of empire-loving presidents and admins.

In 2025, we are witnessing the arrival of a new era in international relations and I have no doubt that this man, President Ibrahim Traoré, has the potential to pull all the African boats towards his Burkinabe and AES harbor, in this stormy sea that is currently the geopolitical arena. African nations that still have any semblance of national independence, are sailing straight to the AES port, with Ethiopia, Tanzania, Nigeria, Botswana and Morocco seeking an audience with at least one of the three national leaders. Traoré has been propelled into the spotlight for the significance of his actions; Kicking out the colonizers, rebirthing the national culture, restoring economic sovereignty, building new infrastructure, boosting economic growth and lifting the hopes and spirit of his people while fellow Africans unite under his image. These for me are the central reasons for his 20 or so assassination attempts and why he, more than the other AES leaders, is considered such a threat. He is leading the ideal, the image of a greater good for Africa and he is succeeding in changing the physical reality and peoples minds too, with light-speed maneuvering, hence his special invitation to Victory Day!

It’s amazing that millions of Africans and Pan-Africanists will march for this man in just over a week and they already know what the billion dollar funded military, economic and social experts in the MICIMATT arena are struggling to conceive; this star is not going to fall even with a $5 million bounty on his head, it’s called loyalty; the more you shoot the more his image grows, creating a myth-like hero status and finally, you can shoot as many times as you want, you just keep missing the mark… on everything!

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Part two to follow - The future economic potential of the AES….

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Name: Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway

Where: Nigeria

Type: 6-lane Superhighway

Length: Section 1 - 120km or 1000km Total

Cost: Section 1 - $7.9 billion USD

Contractor: Hitech (Nigeria)

Construction start: 24^th, October, 2024

Construction end: ?

Significance:

This Superhighway road project breaks a 48-year jinx as it had initially been conceived during the former President Shehu Shagari administration.

The 1,068-kilometer Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway project will serve as a Trade, Transport, and Security (TTS) Greenfield corridor. This road section will feature a total of six lanes, three on each side and will be separated by landscaped medians. Additionally, the road will be built with rigid concrete concrete pavement in order to enhance the road’s durability and long-term value.

This road is expected facilitate quick access, and also strengthen the existing border settlements allowing citizens to quickly pass through multiple states namely: Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, and eventually end in Lagos. The highway will cut transportation costs, boost trade, enhancing connectivity, improve efficiency and economies of scale.

According to the Minister of Works David Umahi, Hitech was chosen for the implementation of the section of this road section. The company was selected due to its ability to meet deadlines and specifications supported by cutting edge equipment and skilled manpower. The other projects Hitech are working on in Nigeria include Apapa-Oshodi Expressway in Lagos and they are also currently working on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.

“The selection of the choice of the rigid pavement (the concrete in its design and construction) is informed by its longevity” - “As for that of Hitech, is premised by the company’s capacity to deliver basing on specifications and as scheduled due to the availability of cutting-edge equipment and skilled expertise.” - “Hitech has delivered similar work on the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway in Lagos. Moreover, it is also doing the same good work on Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project,”

- Minister of Works David Umahi

Project 2.

Name: TAZARA - Tanzania-Zambia Railway Rehabilitation Project

Where: Tanzania + Zambia

Type: Trainline

Length: 1,860 km

Cost: $1.4 billion USD

Contractor: China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC)

Construction start: 2025

Construction end: 2028

Significance:

The TAZARA Railway, is a single-track railway in East Africa linking the port of Dar es Salaam in east Tanzania with the town of Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia's Central Province. Originally built between 1970 and 1975 as a turnkey project financed and supported by China and was a show of China's support for newly independent African countries which gave rise to TAZARA's designation as the "Great Uhuru Railway", Uhuru being the Swahili word for freedom!

This railway links the copper mines of Zambia to the largest port in Tanzania and is a very crucial route for copper exports coming from Central Africa. Additionally, the railway is an alternative route for bypassing the logistics bottlenecks that often exist in South Africa and tend to delay shipment of minerals.

• The main goal is to revamp the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) to enhance regional connectivity and boost economic development.

• $1 billion USD of the CCECC investment is to be used for the aging infrastructure, such as rail tracks, bridges, and tunnels while the remaining $400 million USD of funds will be used to purchase new locomotives and wagons to increase capacity. 32 new locomotives and 762 wagons will be acquired to be exact.

• The goal is to increase the annual tonnage from the current combined average of 500,000 metric tons for all operators, to approximately 2 million metric tons annually.

• The deal is structured as a 30-year concession though the negotiations are currently still taking place. The concession will be structured into three years of construction work and 27 years of operation and maintenance.

• This marks the most significant upgrade to the TAZARA since its construction and comes at a time when the United States is supporting a competing corridor (albeit not very successfully so far), for minerals, the Lobito Corridor. Lobito Corridor stretches from Lobito port in Angola, all the way to the Copperbelt region in Zambia.

  

Project 3.

Name: Cairo’s Metro line 1

Where: Cairo, Egypt

Type: Metro Rail

Length: 44km + 35 stations

Cost: $800 million USD + European Bank for Reconstruction and Development - the European Investment Bank - L’Agence française de développement

Contractor: Orascom Construction (Egypt) + Bouygues - Colas Rail (FR) + Hitachi (JP)

Construction start: 2025

Construction end: 2030

Significance:

The line was the first metro in Africa and the Middle East when it was completed in 1987 and represents the main artery of the city’s mass transit system. It is known as “the French Line”, for it was financed by the French government and built by a consortium of seven French companies together with Cairo-based Arab Contractors.

The new deal will involve renewing the electrical and control systems for the entire track and 35 stations. The aim is to make the line more efficient and to increase its daily capacity. Colas and Orascom will modernize the supply of electricity used to power the trains, along with related civil works, while Hitachi Rail will handle the signaling, control and telecoms infrastructure. French train-maker Alstom had already secured a $1bn contract to upgrade the rolling stock on the line, in 2021.

Orascom, which owns 35% of the contract, commented that it had a history of working on the Cairo metro going back to the 1980s, and that more recently, it had worked on Line 4 of the system as well as a regional metro in Alexandria. The company already has a long standing relationship with both Colas Rail and Hitachi, due to both having worked extensively in the Egyptian construction market.

Why the BRICS Sovereigns chose Ethiopia to make the +?

Ethiopia is a strategic coup for the BRICS group, a unique and quality addition alongside Egypt, that promotes the Global south as a major player in global politics from hereon. The reasons, are largely based on historic, cultural and economic facts, that have laid the foundation for a strong sovereign nation which today, has the potential to lay the platform for an economic renaissance on the continent led by itself and Egypt, alongside other major African countries, like the newly formed AES confederation potentially.

Ethiopia has an ancient history which according to the 1922 regnal list of kings (the official regnal list used by the Ethiopian monarchy which names over 300 monarchs across six millennia), dates back to at least 4500 BC and throughout that time has developed a culture that is unique and essential to the world. The beginning of this epic story starts with The Kingdom of Aksum, a grand kingdom that absorbed the Northern Horn of Africa region, an area that stretched from todays Yemen in the east, unto Sudan in the west and from northern Eritrea down to Somalia and Djibouti in the south east. It encompassed and controlled the entrance to the Red Sea and its borders touched the borders of the Roman Empire in Egypt. In 330 AD, the Kingdom embraced Christianity as the spiritual foundation for the epistemological journey that is necessary for the development of all great civilizations.

- Ethiopian tradition traces the origins of its dynasty to a king called Ori, who lived about 4470 BC. While the reality of such a vastly remote provenance must be considered in semi-mythic terms, it remains certain that Ethiopia, also known as the Kingdom of Kush, was already ancient by the time of David and Solomon's rule in Jerusalem.

- Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie, President of the Crown Council of Ethiopia.

This created the platform for the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church to be founded upon. The church continues to exist to this day as an authentic and unique form of Christianity, still intact with its original tenets and teachings and preaches to some 50 million worldwide members. It is also worth noting that it has become the largest of all the Oriental Orthodox Churches in the world and this is most likely due to the length of time it has operated with minimal internal division or chaos and also due to its direct line of teaching with the original languages of the age when the Bible was written, therefore it could be argued that their Bible has a more accurate depiction of the events of the time. It is becoming more widely known, that the Bible translations into Geʽez, an ancient South Semitic language from Ethiopia, date back to the 6th century at least, making them some of the world's oldest Bible translations and that the 50 million or so members are still receiving the teachings of these original texts, whether the church rests in Ethiopia or in New York.

Islam was duly absorbed into the Kingdom of Aksum sometime around 615 AD which blesses us with the multi-religious nation state we see in modern Ethiopia today, with some 30% of the population living as practicing Muslims. This fluidity in choice for which faith to practice, has helped sculpt a beautiful and unique culture, one that stands apart from any other in Africa, much in the way the Egyptian history and culture does, just maybe not as well documented and known. It is a common lie, often held by the Europeans and North Americans and by now even many Africans somehow believe, that it was the European colonizers who brought Christianity to Africa. It is an intentional lie, made with the purpose of stealing a sovereign nation’s past glory and repurposing that story as a lie to control the people mentally with and to have them rescind their sovereign right to develop along their own epistemological journey. Africans are lied to today when they are lectured to, that Christianity was gifted to them and that it is thanks to those generous colonizers and their gift of Catholicism alongside their nasty Jesuit operatives, that they, the Africans, have “become civilized". In actual fact, Christianity had already naturally been absorbed and God given to Africa through the Solomonic dynasty of the Ethiopian Empire that had found its roots in the holy land many years before Jesus Christ was even born and was continuing to develop while Europe was plunged into the templar crusading Dark Ages.

A quick history account to define this lineage will be of major interest I hope, the most extensive version of the legend appears in the Kebra Nagast (Glory of the Kings) and so I’ll use that depiction, for there are many variations. Bear in mind, that whether entirely truthful or not, one’s own mythology is incredibly important for the national development of a sovereign and independent mind:

• In 982-950 B.C - Menelik I was conceived by his Mother, the Queen of Sheba, who most likely hailed from the area where the Kingdom of Aksum came to reside later, from Yemen to the Horn of Africa, known at the time as the Kingdom of Kush. The Kebra Nagast refers to this queen as the "Queen of the South, who was the Queen of Ethiopia". In this text she is described as being "very beautiful in the face", having a "superb" stature and possessing intelligence and understanding of "high character" and so she wished to travel to Jerusalem to "hear the wisdom of Solomon". Upon visiting King Solomon of Israel, possibly on a trade mission also "with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices, and very much gold, and precious stones" while also challenging him with a set of riddles. Thereafter, the Queen was subdued and tricked into sleeping with King Solomon and the First King of Aksum/Ethiopia was born - Menelik I.

• Menelik I met his father when he returned to Jerusalem in his twenties. Solomon asked him to stay and rule after him, but Menelik chose to return to Ethiopia and it is said that King Solomon gave Menelik I the Ark of the Covenant to return with. Another story says that Menelik I took the Ark without consent and that when King Solomon tried to retrieve it, he was unable to due to the Ark’s supernatural properties aiding Menelik I. Today, it is believed that the Ark is held in Axum and no one is allowed to enter the shrine it is held in, except for one monk who is assigned to look after it for life and is not allowed to leave the courtyard of the church.

• Menelik I founded the “Solomonic” dynasty that would go on to rule Ethiopia without any major interruptions, for 3000 years, up until the 20th century.

• After Menelik I, the dynasty ruled until the year 920 A.D, after which a minor change occurred wherein the Zagwe dynasty of Agaw descent took power, after the end of the Aksumite line, that would return to rule again, later down the line.

• The generally considered illegitimate Zagwe dynasty, lasted for 300-350 years before in 1270 A.D, the “Solomonic” dynasty was restored through a man named Yekuno Amlak. Historian, Manfred Kropp, was skeptical of the way this dynasty is often referred to as the "Solomonic" or "Solomonid" dynasty, which he believes was a creation of the European Renaissance scholars. In fact, Ethiopian chronicles refer to the throne of the monarchy as the “Throne of David” and not of Solomon.

• Yekuno Amlak was the rebirth of a family line, that would remain on the throne without pause, throughout the years 1270-1975 A.D, passing through the reign of Menelik II, the great uncle of the legendary Haile Selassie I, who was responsible for the founding of the Organization of African Unity or the African Union as we know it today, alongside the equally great Pan-African, Kwame Nkrumah and the charismatic Egyptian revolutionary, Gamal Abdel Nasser.

A shining example of this glorious civilization, stands tall today as one of the holiest cities in Ethiopia, if not the world; Lalibela. The churches built there, anywhere between 1000-1250 AD, are a special example of the splendid architecture developed by the Christian orthodox faith and by the four or more different Kingdoms that inherited the region one after the other. Today it is considered as one of the holiest cities of the orthodox world and is a center of pilgrimage for millions of people world over. Even the layout and names of the major buildings in Lalibela are widely accepted, especially by the local clergy, to be a symbolic representation of Jerusalem in Israel.

And so, though more research and diving into details is needed, it is clear, that here we find a nation that is defined more by its glorious past than by the present or the possible future, though admittedly it is this glorious past that will develop an inevitably glorious future.

Ethiopia stands as a civilizational powerhouse in world history for it has a central role in the world story. Epistemologically, they have developed themselves through their national story, to become a people that are essentially impossible to colonize, whether that be through the physical Battle of Adwa means or through the we delivered you to Christianity metaphysical means. They have embodied a quality of sovereignty that can withstand the temptations of the European empires and their riches, without sacrificing themselves entirely and it is due to that resistance that they stand so tall in the global arena today. It is not long ago that Ethiopia was only seen through the lens of poverty, but in recent times we are being asked to wear new glasses and review this nation through another lens. The lens of a rebirthed sovereign independence, by defeating externally caused internal divisions with the Tigray people, alongside a revived economy through great power partnerships with other great ancient civilizations, notably China and a rejuvenated populace that is in the process of emancipating themselves from physical poverty forever and quite possibly, in the quickest time ever achieved for humankind.

China didn’t select Ethiopia to be part of the BRICS+ because of present economic reasons just, though those metrics are important. China chose Ethiopia because of all the above history, culture and epistemological development that comes with such an account of glory. If we look at these two nations and what makes them powerful in spirit, we can consider that they are not so different and though Ethiopia is further behind on the path to reglorify her nation and escape the decades of humiliation, it is a juncture in history, that like China, she will surely achieve and soon.

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The African Sovereign joins the BRICS+ Family - A win-win relationship…

Given the above mentioned grand history of Ethiopia and the vast culture that has been sculpted by the people during that time, we are already aware to some degree, of the reasons by which Ethiopia became an important new partner to the BRICS+ group. With such an ancient spirit in the nation, that defines itself with an almightily complex journey, modern day Ethiopia has truly become an ancient civilizational nation state that now stands at the precipice of an economic renaissance, that will change the entire world perception of future Africa and will lead to an independent, industrious and united continent.

BRICS was already mighty in stature and perfectly capable of causing all sorts of problems for the NATO Hegemon; without intention of course, it’s only because the Hegemon sought total worldwide domination, a goal it now appears to realize is futile and yet its downfall or gradual pullback will continue to cause chaos in the world. So the BRICS nations need the Global South; a name, aptly given to what also could simply be called, “The Others” or “Everybody else in the world without a seat at the decision making table”, the developing countries outside of the usual power brokers on the U.N security council or in NATO. They need them, because those medium-sized, historically and culturally strong nations, such as Ethiopia, Indonesia, Egypt, Vietnam, Thailand or Nigeria, morph BRICS into a truly universal grouping that can pull the world away from and out of conflict, division, poverty, disease and the hopelessness caused by the lack of visionary leadership in the last half century. They provide the universality that the group was still missing and that universality has a power in truth, for it represents the will of the many. United under what is now named BRICS+, with a vision of a shared future for humanity, built on the principles of political respect for one another’s sovereignty, economic cooperation for one another’s general welfare and cultural exchange and understanding to build a true and long lasting world peace. This world peace need not be dove-tailed or wrapped in hippy love. No, this world peace can be based on creative human ideas that have great vision and unite us in our universal goals in exploration, discovery and to be able to harness more productive powers from the universe and create a culture of life rather than death with it.

You see BRICS, which is largely led by China and Russia in principle, needs the people from the Global south, nations like Ethiopia, to lead from the bottom up and demand that the BRICS nations provide them with the modern science and technology, necessary to scale up their economies to the modern day heights of China and Russia. Otherwise what is the point in changing to new leadership, if nothing physical has happened to truly change the reality of everyday lives. Leadership should not be sentimental; if I am poor, I need real physical production to get myself out of poverty, that is the only way to achieve any kind of personal freedom or independence and so it goes without saying that all of the Global South countries need the same. China and Russia have the knowledge, energy, capital and culture within their people, that is capable of changing the world and they have already begun to conduct themselves in harmony, when it comes to their Global South relations.

We witness Russia providing Technical Military support for the newly created Confederation of the AES in West Africa, while engaging in serious diplomatic activity to help African nations build nuclear industries from the ground up, so that one day, they can develop the domestic industries needed to support their continued development and therefore, will not become dependent on Russia for the technology. China on the other hand, is far more expansive in her activity and through the visionary Belt and Road initiative, has already spent just over $1.2 trillion USD, with no signs of slowing down, but instead, may increase spending, when the new BRICS+ financial system comes online. Of that sum, around $700 billion USD has been spent on infrastructure. To put that into something scalable; it costs anywhere from $17 to $21 million USD per km of High-speed rail in China (Of course the cheapest in the world). If we take $19 million USD as the average, that would equate to 36,842km of High- speed rail being built since the year it started, which was officially in September, 2013, when President Xi Jinping made that epochal speech, during a visit to Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan. The scale is simply astounding and should make the Hegemon shiver with anxiety, for the emperor truly has no clothes at all anymore in comparison to this nation building activity.

Ethiopia and Africa have received some of the most attention and investment from China’s Belt and Road Initiative, let’s list some of the many achievements from this important bilateral relationship:

• From 2006-2018, China lent Ethiopia $14.83 billion USD, 82.2% was spent on 70 mega-projects (22 in transport and communications, 35 in Energy production, 13 for factories and the urban water supply).

• In 2022 according to U.N. figures, Ethiopia was Africa’s second largest FDI recipient and China plays a major role in this and its industrialization. As of late 2023, China’s 1,844 investment projects in Ethiopia were 4-5 times the number of US and Indian projects.

• A China Communications Construction Company manager in Addis Ababa noted:

  We have 800 local engineers and thousands of local workers. We have created over 5,000 job opportunities. We have close to six subcontractors, particularly in road, building and finishing works. We usually work hand-in-hand with local grade-one contractors. If we win bids, we subcontract part of the project to them. If they win, they subcontract it to us because they need knowledge and technological capacity.

  In fact, contrary to Western media portrayals, not many Chinese workers work at projects in Ethiopia. There were fewer than 6,000 in 2021.

• The stock of investment in 2023, at $4.8 billion USD, was one-tenth the stock of all Chinese FDI in Africa and one-sixth the stock of all FDI in Ethiopia. This has created 560,000 Ethiopian job opportunities, mainly in clothing and textiles, building materials, plastics and metals and engineering. In 2021, Chinese firms accounted for 60% of Ethiopia’s approved new FDI projects, almost all in manufacturing and services.

• From 2016 to 2020, China contributed 20% of the value of greenfield (entirely new) FDI in Africa, more than three and four times the US and the UK. To add, not much of the US’s aid to Africa promotes industrialization.

• By 2017, China was said to be involved in 12% of Africa’s industrial production. In 2021, 13.4% of its stock of investment in Africa, was in manufacturing – with 37% in construction and 10% in mining. Recently, manufacturing’s importance is increasing, especially in Ethiopia.

• In 18 major African states from 2000-2010 and 2010-2018, manufacturing’s average annual value-added growth was 5% and 4.3% respectively; while in Ethiopia it was 7.8% and 16.8%. (A considerable difference!) Average annual growth in manufacturing jobs in the 18 African states was 4.8% and 4.9%, while in Ethiopia it was 11.2% and 6.9%.

• Ethiopia’s manufactured exports in 2023 were a fifth of all its exports. Chinese manufacturing exporters operate in Ethiopia’s 13 public and 5 private industrial parks. Eleven of the Chinese-built IPs have attracted FDI of $740 million USD since 2013 while IP occupancy rates have been as high as 80%. They have created 150,000 jobs, almost all for locals and mainly for women.

• The oldest IP, the Chinese-managed Eastern Industrial Park near Addis, had 26,000 workers in 2023, only 5% are Chinese workers, while 70-80% are women. The Hawassa IP, that sits 275 km south of Addis is even larger and in 2021, 97% of the 35,000 workers were Ethiopian.

• Ethiopia eventually plans to transform all the IPs into special economic zones. The first will be the Chinese-built Dire Dawa IP being completed in late 2023, 450 km from the capital. This sits along the Chinese-built Addis Ababa - Djibouti Railway, a 759km stretch of Electrified railway built to transport goods to the port for export.

• China’s brotherly relations with Ethiopia, which in 2023, were officially lifted to an all-weather strategic partnership status, go much further than economics. The Ethiopian youth, increasingly benefit from China’s world-leading university system. This all happens thanks to China’s international student grant program that offers ten’s of thousands of scholarships and grants, to the most promising, talented or economically needed students, for some will go to China for specific training in an industry, to then return to Ethiopia.

• In 2018, 81,500 African university students were studying in China and more scholarships were offered to African students than by all the leading Western governments combined. Already in 2017, China had 74,011 African students, 4,883 were Ethiopians, up from 844 in 2011, more than twice the number of Ethiopians studying in the US. In 2023, Ethiopians were said to “account for the largest group of Chinese scholarship recipients.” China was also supporting 117 Ethiopians studying at Addis Ababa University.

Ethiopia’s BRICS+ future Economy - From the earth to the stars…

In the immediate years to come between now and 2030, the world will witness a historic and epochal change, firstly in the architecture of our global security agreements and thereafter in the economic architecture too. The geopolitical hurdles will be pragmatically jumped through, albeit with a fair bit more chaos to come, but ending with a finality that will represent the best of all possible worlds and outcomes. This new multi-polar geopolitical arena is inevitable and the Sovereigns of BRICS+ are the physical representation of the epochal shift that has largely taken place since the millennium. By the good grace of our universal creator, the baton of promethean fire has been passed onto other civilizations, a new mandate of heaven has been handed down to us and it implores us to look up towards the stars, rather than be dragged down by earthly problems.

Ethiopia is a nation that has made up its collective mind and they have put their best citizens forward, to lead them into an era where they will have glory, respect and universal prosperity for their citizens. The past times and images of Ethiopians, both young and old suffering in poverty, will be laid in the history books and will remind everyone of us that this small period of time when the western empire was in decline, was in fact not too dissimilar to prior dark ages. It is the quality of thinking that determines this and I am of the firm believe that the coming future, provided by the Sovereigns in BRICS+, is a future era that will put the present and past decades to shame. It is an open system paradigm that will release an entirely new era, one that is full of belief in the potential of humankind and will open the mind to new creative endeavors, no matter the challenge or courage needed to scale them.

Here we will list some of the different levels of cooperation:

Economic cooperation -

• Trade and investment between BRICS+ nations will help balance the scales. Ethiopia will benefit from trading with fast growing economies like China and India. Ethiopia can trade more easily and have greater access to the international market.

• Ethiopia will benefit from financial support via the NDP. Low interest loans will be given for further national infrastructure development to help streamline the economy.

• South-South cooperation will equal win-win trade relationships for the smaller Global South countries. This will also facilitate increased knowledge sharing in areas like agriculture, water resources and infrastructure development.

Political gains -

• Ethiopia can participate in BRICS discussions on global governance and development, advocating for reforms in international institutions. Aligning with other emerging and Global South economies will provide strength in numbers and will help develop a higher level of regional integration world over.

• Global South countries will naturally align with fellow Global South actors like Ethiopia. Ethiopia is now a major player in the BRICS+ bloc and this increases its influence in regionally and continentally.

• Development of higher quality governance in line with the other BRICS+ nations standards. A universal standard of governance is important to maintain the general welfare of your respective populations.

Other National wins -

• Agricultural cooperation will lead to increased production yields in crops via technology transfers. Knowledge and expertise will be shared with one another to increase national and global food security. Food insecurity will become a historical problem.

• Water resources will be re-organized and new treaties will be signed to replace colonially forced agreements. Water scarcity will end with new desalination plants to be built all along the coast of Africa and Arabia. Canals from the Congo river to the Lake Chad Basin will open up the potential of the Sahara and bring biodiversity back to what once was a place teaming with potential and life.

• Infrastructure development has already been ongoing for at least two decades and the rate of progress will simply increase. International funds and national public money is being spent to develop Ethiopia’s national economy and it is only common sense and historically consistent that the private industry will turn up in their droves to get in on the economic action.

Space cooperation -

• Ethiopia is actively seeking to develop its space capabilities through cooperation with BRICS+ nations, particularly in areas like remote sensing and Earth observation.

• This collaboration aims to increase Ethiopia's ability to monitor environmental changes, support sustainable agriculture and improve disaster risk management.

• Ethiopia participates in BRICS+ space initiatives, including the BRICS+ Joint Committee on Space Cooperation and the BRICS Heads of Space Agencies meeting. This provides access to valuable knowledge, expertise and the best practices in space technology and exploration.

• Ethiopia is partnering with China to develop and launch Earth observation satellites, providing crucial data for land use planning, environmental monitoring and disaster risk reduction.

• Ethiopia is developing a ground station-as-a-service initiative in space science and geospatial application.

• Ethiopia has expressed interest in participating in research projects within the BRICS framework, particularly in areas like lunar exploration. Note that China and Russia have recently announced plans to land Humans on the Moon in 2030. China’s robotic mission - Chang’e 8, will aim to land on the Moon to prepare for human arrival, in 2028. Ethiopia could potentially aim to have an Ethiopian astronaut on the Moon by 2035-40.

One final thought to leave the reader with today and it was stumbled upon by this writer during the research course for this article. I would like to theorize simply that historically essential Civilizational Nation States are and always will be the bedrock of the worlds population growth because of their origins in history and their centrality to the epistemological journey of humankind. China, Iran, Mexico, India, USA, Ethiopia, The AES and others represent cultures and civilizations that have been in development for thousands of years already. They are not all in their final stages of that development, but the best of each and everyone of those cultures, has its roots firmly placed in the future, based on the amount of people they will produce in the coming decades. The future literally depends on them because they are producing the children who will carry the ideas to generate that future.

The question is, is it just economy that produces population growth or is it population growth that produces economy? Right now, I lean slightly more towards the latter, for it is based on my firm spiritual belief that humans have been made in the image of their creator and are all equally potent in developing a creative purpose for their life. That creation is what truly brings new value into the physical world, not speculation or gambling on something’s value, the way we currently do with human life.

I recently watched this man on TikTok who interviews rich people all the time, asking them what to teach the kids of this world to be free of want rather than a slave to the current system? He said something that resonated strongly in me and I think it gets at the problem of how people value themselves and humanity at large, it was this - “Where is the most wealth in the world held?”….. his answer - “In the graveyards where the dead rest, with all the ideas they never believed in or bothered to try”.

Project 1.

Name: Ghana’s Petroleum Hub

Where: Jomoro, Ghana

Type: Integrated Petrochemical Complex

Size and Capacity: 8000 Hectares + 900,000 Barrels of crude oil daily + 90,000 Barrels of Chemical works daily

Cost: $60 Billion Usd

Contractor: TCP (U.K) - UIC (Sing) - China Wuhan Engineering + China Construction Third Engineering Bureau (China)

Construction start: 01.08.2024

Construction end: Expected 5 years duration. 2029?

Significance:

The economy of Ghana will benefit enormously from this project and the west African region will be able to take advantage of the complex too. No longer will West African Crude Oil need to be sent off shore to be refined, it can now be turned into fuel and then sold at a much higher value should they wish to export it. This complex will also help decrease local fuel prices due to the domestication of the entire petrochemical process and will also produce fertilizers, lubricants and cosmetics.

Ghana discovered its own oil deposits in 2010 and its because of this that the government decided to push forward with the complex. Crude oil has grown to provide a fifth of the entire export market and has helped turn Ghana into one of the worlds fastest growing economies, rising from $19 Billion Usd in 2004 to $74 Billion Usd today. GDP per capita now stands at a proud $4000 Usd, officially making Ghana a middle-income country. This complex will only add increased value and productivity to the regional market so that not only Ghana’s economy will grow faster, but the other regional nations will too.

Entire Inventory:

• 3 Oil Refineries

• 5 Petrochemical plants

• Large storage tanks - 3 million cubic meters of oil and derivatives storage capacity

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said the project promised to be a “cornerstone of our nation’s development, ensuring that all Ghanaian homes and industries have access to reliable, affordable and environmentally sustainable energy”.

He added the hub is expected to create some 780,000 direct and indirect jobs (almost 3% of the population), to stabilize the national currency and stimulate local economic development.

Project 2.

Name: Lemi National Cement Factory

Where: Amhara, Ethiopia

Type: Cement processing factory

Capacity: 15,000 tonnes per day

Cost: $600 Million Usd

Contractor: West China Cement (China) + East African Holding Company (Eth)

Construction start: 01.09.2022

Construction end: 20.09.2024

Significance:

Ethiopia has doubled its cement producing capacity with the building of the plant. It was built in just two years on the Lemi Building Materials Industrial Park and will go on to produce 50% of all the cement made in Ethiopia. The factory is highly automated and has a 174m pre-heating tower, the worlds tallest for such a factory. It is used to heat the clinker to 950 degrees Celsius before its ground down to make cement. This improves efficiency and will reduce energy consumption.

The Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, called on the private sector to get more involved in the construction and operation of such plants and factories. He wishes for more investment in the steel and fertilizer industries. At the inauguration, he said the factory was a “testament to our government’s commitment to building fast, building big, and building clean”.

Project 3.

Name: Uganda SGR railway network

Where: Kampala - Malaba, Uganda

Type: Train

Length: 272km phase one - total 1700km plan

Cost: 2.7 Billion Euros - Standard Chartered (U.K)

Contractor: Yapi Merkezi (Tur)

Construction start: 01.11.2024

Construction end: 01.11.2028

Significance:

This project is a huge addition to the East African SGR railway network which will connect the East African countries of Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi and likely will extend to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola too, culminating in a cross continent railway from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic.

The phase one section of the project will connect the capital cities of Uganda and Kenya, Kampala to Nairobi and therefore will connect to Mombasa too, thanks to Kenya’s already completed SGR line. It is the first phase of what will eventually be a 1700km electrified railway network in Uganda, that will become an important part of the over 10,000km East African Railway Network. It is very important for Uganda as it will create a direct line of transport, to the coastal ports of Mombasa and Bagamoyo, to more efficiently export and import trade while boosting the economic growth in the region.

Another major milestone is that the mighty Lake Victoria, will now be connected to the coast and will be a major boon for the tourism industry, connecting travelers from the lake to the coast in a mere 10 hours by train. Much shorter and smoother than the 21 hours by car!

It took 9 years of striving to get the financing secured for this project as China were reluctant to back it and so Turkey has stepped in to fill the funding gap. Yapi Merkezi already has vast experience working in African infrastructure development as it has been a main contractor for the Tanzanian SGR line and has built a few of their phases already. The results can be seen for yourself with a quick You tube search to see the inauguration of that project.

Turkey’s soft power on the continent has been growing rapidly in recent times. Its trade volume with Africa has increased from $5.4bn to nearly $41bn over the past 20 years, and it has launched cultural programmes, business councils and an extensive flight network across the continent, with Turkish Airlines now flying to some 60 African destinations.

The next frontier - Space

Space is a frontier, that for the human mind presents the greatest challenge in all history. It is an entirely different terrain to what our daily lives encompass here on earth and it presents us with a task so utterly huge and all encompassing, that once we discover the scientific principles that govern that terrain and produce the materials and technology to safely explore that terrain, we will have extended the limits of human experience so far, that the current old paradigm we are watching the sunset on, would quickly become another grand section in the history department.

Unbeknownst to many, while Rome is entering its final scene, Africa has only just begun getting dressed for the show and the leadership on the continent will need to catch up with the new script, if they wish to stay with the people.

You see what China, Russia and by default BRICS+ have done in their creation, is release the world mind from a closed system ideology and represent a new multi-polar era with a shared future for mankind, one that has its future rooted in the stars. Of course that is what an open system represents, first of all a future but given that the future is inevitable thanks to time, what kind of future is an essential question for every living soul on earth. With the increase in human understanding we realize that this is a potent moment to say good bye to the old economic model of Free trade and welcome in a new economic model that serves the increase of every nations productive powers, which would therefore enable the state to provide what ever needs the domestic population has, without ever being forced to sacrifice ones sovereignty.

A shared future for Humans, A.I and Robots…

In the streets of London, Paris, New York and Berlin, most of what you hear regarding the conversation around A.I and Robotics is steeped in negative assumptions that require very little thought and are mostly built upon the very real fears that the said population has of its own Oligarchy. Their nasty ambitions for the use of such science and technology have been made known to us when the WEF sorcerer Klaus Schwab and his apprentice Yuval Noah Hariri exclaimed with unveiled pride, “You'll own nothing and be happy”. In other words or at least what i heard as the quiet part said out loud - we will use these new technologies to enslave and own you.

BRICS+ meanwhile is strategically governed by the Ancient Sovereigns, China, Russia and Iran. These three kings have an ancient mind and are immune to psychological enslavement or servitude to another. Even if it means marching through abject poverty to resist the hegemon for centuries, they will resist and now we witness their victory. It is a victory for the human soul more than anything and it physically represents the arrival of a new era of space travel and interplanetary habitation for the Human species.

How one might ask?

Robots and A.I will increase the potential power of our species by a significant factor and if you have a broad and reasonable imagination, you will already be able to see many of the reasons for such an assumption. Instead of the I, Robot Movie depiction, of good Robots turning evil simply because they are ordered too, transforming instantly into Stasi-like officers that stop us from leaving our home to buy groceries. That does in fact fit with the “You'll own nothing and be happy” WEF script and now one may realize why Hollywood has spent so many decades fixated on this dystopic view of the future, where the only use of such technology is to create a human prison on Earth.

In direct opposition to that or rather far above and beyond anything our Globalist Oligarchy can even fathom, are the ideas being presented by the Sovereigns. Rather than use Robots and A.I that by some global “accident”, would be forced to enslave humankind to save the planet from “Dying”; the Sovereigns would rather believe that our species is made in the image of the universal creator that we call God, Allah or what the Chinese call, Shangdi.

The mind of a sovereign is different to that of an empiricist in that it seeks to serve the greater good as a means for acquiring an even greater power of discovery and productivity. These nations are developing their peoples (The greater good) to such a high standard of scientific and technological literacy, that they are building the future in their population as an educational force capable of taking on the new challenges that the Space age will provide. Robots and A.I, in such an open system, will flourish and become a physical and mental extension of the human experience. Health care will be revolutionized with Robots providing 24/7 care without complaint and never forgetting to attend any patient. The intelligence, strength and energy that these robots will muster, will enable us to live way beyond 100 and will also increase the quality of that living. Disabled people will see their lives transformed for the better with far greater mobility being made possible with robotic limb replacements. Even animals will benefit from such scientific discoveries. Travel will be extended and made more secure with self-driving vehicles being able to transport us while we are sleeping, injured or sick. This is all possible while communicating with the hospital robots, that will prepare everything for the patient before their arrival, leading to a massive decrease in deaths by accident in the world. Mining is another area where humans would be better used in the Mind exercises rather than the Physical and dangerous. Why send a valuable human life that is capable of unique discoveries when you can send a machine that doesn’t breathe, fear or feel pain. The possibilities are really endless so please entertain your mind, but for now… Space.

Space is where it gets really interesting, for as we see with the travel industry, the human experience in life would be extended while increasing protection and security. Simply put, Robots can do things that are too dangerous for Humans to do. This is a huge factor when discovering new terrain whether it be in Space, On Earth and Mars or any other planet. The robots will be sent first, either alone or if the conditions allow, with human company too and they will be assigned with building the foundation for human habitation in the solar system. They will be able to perform this task with the help of Artificial Intelligence acting as a sort of motherboard for operations. The motherboard will be controlled via a human operated space station situated on Earth, communications will be sent back and forth via satellites that will orbit around the Moon, Mars and other Planets eventually and automated Rockets and spaceships (with manual overrides ;)) will be transporting humans back and forth safely, as well as around the solar system between planets. It all sounds very star treky doesn’t it and good, it should, because by now we should already be going where no man has gone before and we should of been beaming up Scotty for years already!

You see its our imagination which defines our very image. If our civilization only imagines that whatever it creates will bring about its own destruction, maybe they are being conned into a closed system mode of thinking so that then, they can be controlled and manipulated by those imposed fears. They live in a scientific status quo that is controlled by those in power, who do not wish for anymore great discoveries to be made, so as not to lose their own grip on power, which paradoxically, was gained by the prior correct open system thinking in that very same civilization, when it was led by the great stateman John F Kennedy. That quality of open mindedness has now left our house and has made a home for itself in the BRICS+ classical architecture that seeks harmony in the world, harmony through great discoveries and by joining the nations and cultures of the world in a great mission to the stars where everyone will be represented. A true performance of Equity, Diversity and Independence.

The stars align for the Africans…

So what with all this age of Discovery, Science and Technology, what about Africa and what relevance does this future have for the formerly named “Dark Continent”…

Well some metrics to give us a shadow of the future reality on Planet Earth. Africa is currently the second most populated continent in the world after Asia’s 4.98 Billion people with 1.55 Billion, the same population as China roughly. Out of the worlds total of 7.5 Billion people, over 60% are currently Asian while 20% are African, the rest make up the final fifth. Wow that already speaks volumes about Asia and how it has risen so high in the world arena, especially when at least 30% of the continent hails from China, the most productive nation in the world.

Lets fast forward to 2050, some 25 years into the future and very possibly a Space age future by then. I think that the population increase will be the single greatest benefit to this mission and we will need many more people on Earth before we are able to become an interplanetary species, capable of travelling around the Solar system. Therefore Africa, as the next largest population growth center, will be an essential partner in the future international space program. Current U.N projections that are based of the Malthusian Club of Rome closed system thinking that has been hanging over the world for the last 60 years or so, project that in 2050, Africa will be home to 2.5 Billion souls. In reality with the new paradigm of BRICS+ and the Belt and Road initiative now governing the future, Africa would do well to reach over 3 Billion souls so as to increase the potential productive powers over the entire space of the continent enough to realize universal prosperity and to remove poverty from reality and into the history books for good. This would double the human activity on the continent and give Africa the necessary hands to develop their mineral resources for their own sovereignty and wealth creation. Africa holds all of the minerals of the periodic table and is literally standing on the future mineral base for the creation of the new materials that will be able to withstand all the elements of the new atmospheres and terrains that we will discover. I wouldn’t mind betting that their are still minerals we haven’t discovered yet, lying in the depths of the Congo basin and that that is the real reason for the recent reprise of violence through western interference and its regional actor, Rwanda in the Eastern DRC. While they are maiming, raping and murdering innocent civilians that surround the mineral rich regions, western corporations are stealing valuable resources through Rwanda and are illegally exporting DRC’S mineral wealth. This is the vision of the future presented by the MICIMATT Globalist Oligarchy, a future where nothing and no one lives without the authorization of this oligarchy and that any ideas that seek to lift the condition of the common human on the street, must be crushed and buried so as not to inspire anyone to action for the other. Love and Agape as governors of the universal forces that stand behind courage, reason and action, are primed to take on this closed system of thinking that this Empire has tried in vain to force on others. It is the very ideas presented and inspired by a space age, that really worry the unfortunate crop of empiricists in London and New York.

Africa will provide the human brain capital, the mineral capital and the physical space for this new Space age. Africa has the longest amount of land situated along the Equator in the world and it just turns out that that is a pretty big boon when it comes to travelling to and from space. The Earth rotates fastest at the equator, with a velocity of approximately 1,670 kilometers per hour and so building a spaceport on or near the equator offers a significant advantage: it leverages the Earth's rotational velocity to increase the launch velocity of a rocket, reducing the amount of fuel required to achieve orbit. This translates to a higher payload capacity for a given rocket, meaning it can carry more people and cargo instead of fuel. Therefore building spaceports along this line would be most beneficial to the world indeed and especially once geopolitical limits have been worked through and the planets nations have been brought into a new era of multi-polar relations, no hurdles would remain at all.

Its an incredible idea to think that instead of the Sahel being abused as a region for staging terrorist and extremist attacks against the poor nations of the AES, that in the future it could be a region of the most groundbreaking scientific discoveries and that daily, humans could be jetting off on interplanetary journeys that will surely rewrite the foundation of the meaning behind every one of our lives. It will rewrite the future for the billions of children that will be born on the continent in the next 3 decades and it is the adults of this world, who can call themselves as such, that must bear this responsibility. We must responsibly pressure our leadership to anchor at this port of multipolarity, of shared future for humankind, of scientific discovery and spiritual hope and of emancipation from both physical and mental slavery. That the individual, world over be given the powers of potential so that he or she can govern his or herself in accordance with this new future, that they be reborn in the presence of such ideas and that their eyes be lifted to the stars with a mind full of wonder, as to how they will partake in the great human mission to the heavens…

To be continued…

Project 1.

Name: The Nachtigal Hydropower Dam project

Where: Cameroon

Type: Hydropower Dam

Capacity: 420Mw

Cost: $1.1 Billion Usd - EDF (France) + State of Cameroon + the World Bank Group

Contractor: Besix (Belgium) + NGE (France) + SGTM (Morocco)

Construction start: 01.02.2019

Construction end: 1st turbine installed - 15.05.2024 - 7th and last turbine installed March, 2025.

Significance:

The Nachtigal Hydropower Dam project is Cameroon’s very first IPP Hydropower Dam Project and will provide 30% of the nations power needs, for a lifespan of 35 years.

Cameroon has significant Bauxite reserves and the Nachtigal hydroelectric dam was mainly designed to meet the energy needs of ALUCAM (Aluminium of Cameroon) who were planning to extend their plant. New studies were carried out and the State of Cameroon, ALUCAM and its partner ALCAN signed a letter of intent to jointly carry out this project in 2005.

The Dam is considered one of the most important industrial projects of Cameroon and sub-Saharan Africa in the energy sector.

The government of Cameroon has set an ambitious vision to expand access to electricity, increase the use of renewable energy, boost power generation, and strengthen transmission capacity to meet a surge in demand, projected to quadruple by 2035. More than 140,000 households in the rural areas of the Center region have gained access to reliable electricity over the past year thanks to the new Dam

Project 2.

Name: The Dangote Itori Cement Plant

Where: Itori, Nigeria

Type: Cement factory

Capacity: 6 million tonnes annual

Cost: $800 Million Usd

Contractor: Dangote Industries Limited (Nigeria) + China Sinoma International Engineering (China)

Construction start: March, 2025

Construction end: November, 2026

Significance:

The Dangote group is owned and operated by the richest man in Africa, Aliko Dangote and he comes from Nigeria. The Dangote group operates in 17 Industrial and agricultural sectors.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Dangote said that new integrated cement plant at completion will strengthen the local production capacity of Dangote Cement, bringing its local capacity to 41.25 million tons per annum and total African capacity to 57.6 million tons per annum. He said the Itori Cement Plant will also increase Nigeria’s capacity to export cement, thereby enabling more diversification and foreign exchange inflows for the economy. When the cement factory is complete, the state where its being built, Ogun, will be the largest cement-producing region in Africa!

According to Dangote, the project is further expected to develop the domestic economy through creation of thousands of indirect and direct jobs and drive economic development in the Itori axis. Ancillary businesses, he stated will be drawn to the axis, who will be seeking to take advantage of the location of the cement plant to provide goods and services to staff, contractors and other stakeholders.

When operational, the plant is expected to have two Lines x 6,000 TPD Clinker Production with an installed daily total capacity of 12,000 TPD of Clinker production. It is expected to be completed within 27 months with best-in-class equipment in the cement industry, sourced from Europe’s major equipment suppliers

Project 3.

Name: The Grand Egyptian Museum

Where: Giza, Egypt

Type: Museum

Size and Capacity: 490,000 square meters or 15,000 daily visitors

Cost: $1 billion Usd

Contractor: Heneghan Peng Architects (Ire + US) + Orascom Construction/BESIX (Egypt + Belgium)

Construction start: 12.03.2012

Construction end: 06.02.2023 (limited access), 03.07.2025 (Grand opening)

Significance:

Spanning 50 hectares, the GEM is twice the size of both Paris’ Louvre and New York’s Metropolitan, and two and a half times the size of the British Museum in London.

An 11-meter statue of Ramses II greets visitors, leading to a grand staircase lined with statues of pharaohs, gods and sarcophagi and ending at a window framing the pyramids. Currently, 12 galleries display around 15,000 artefacts arranged chronologically from prehistory to the Greco-Roman period. They include Queen Hetepheres’s treasures, such as her intricately-carved armchair, in sophisticated lighting after years of being tucked away in the old Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square. The GEM will also showcase the 44-metre-long cedarwood solar barque, buried near the Great Pyramid around 2,500 BC.

Among the most anticipated displays for the grand opening are the treasures of Tutankhamun, including his iconic gold mask. More than 5,000 Tutankhamun artefacts have been transferred to the GEM, though his full collection, including his sarcophagus and the embalmed remains of his daughters, will be revealed at the official opening.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has invited US President Donald Trump and Spain’s King Felipe VI to attend the ceremony. “This museum is the world’s largest museum for a single civilization, which is the Pharaonic civilization,” Sisi said in December.

The GEM is expected to attract five million visitors annually, adding to a record 15.7 million tourists in 2024. Elhamy al-Zayat, former chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Federation, said the museum’s proximity to the newly-opened Sphinx International Airport, the pyramids and a growing number of nearby hotels will be a game-changer for Egypt’s tourism sector.

“This will definitely transform Egypt’s tourism industry.

”

The Star rose through the ranks…

Many people in the world are unaware of the towering figure of Cpt. Ibrahim Traoré, the interim President of Burkina Faso since 2022. The mainstream media does not wish to shine a light on this man, who already has enough real glow to turn many powerful heads, especially within Africa. Not only in Africa does he turn heads, but also in the powerful states of the U.S., France and the UK, for the former masters are seriously threatened by the vision of this young leader.

He was born in a small town called Bondokuy and was raised in a humble family with little privilege. From a young age he showed his quality and was talented both physically and mentally, though he also impressed his teachers with his humility, a quality that today, is essential to his character. With his mental aptitude apparent, in 2006, he attended the University of Ouagadougou (from which he graduated with honors) and took up Geology as his main subject of study, a subject that is also likely aiding him in his current role as President and this could be where he began his interests in physical economy. Then he started developing his political skills and took a bold and vocal part in the Association of Muslim Students and the Marxist Association nationale des étudiants burkinabè (ANEB). It is said that in the latter of these two parties, he became a delegate due to his strong willed but humble nature and mainly because he was such a staunch defender of his fellow classmates and they elected him duly for this.

Upon graduation, he joined the Army in 2009 and made a quick impression, rising through the ranks rapidly. Initially he was sent to Morocco for anti-aircraft training before then being redirected to an infantry unit base in Northern Burkina Faso where he was about to witness first hand the rapid growth of terrorist activity in that region. In 2014 he was promoted to Lieutenant before joining MINUSMA, a United Nations peacekeeping force involved in the Mali War, on 7 different counter-terrorism missions, for which he received several high level recommendations for courage and quality of leadership. The long-running Mali civil war with the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad, a northern region of Tuareg people that have been fighting a separatist war with the Malian government for many years now; is the war that largely helped prepare the regional instability for the oncoming horde of terrorists. It is this experience that helped him earn important knowledge in the tactics being used by the extremists and prepared him for what was to come with the increased spread of Islamist terrorism across the Sahel region. Following his time at MINUSMA and due to the increasing jihadi insurgencies, Traoré was recalled to Burkina Faso to begin assisting in the fight. He fought at Djibo, in the "Otapuanu offensive" of 2019, and several other counter-insurgency operations in the country's north before being promoted to Captain in the Army in 2020. In late 2021, an army of jihadists overran the base of a police station in Inata, Soum, killing 49 policemen and four civilians and the public outroar was enough to offset the quiet murmurings of change. It was around this time that Traoré started to lose faith and trust in the Government due to a severe lack of resources for his soldiers and just like in his University days, his fellow soldiers duly elected him as their spokesman and leader to voice their issues to the leadership back in the capital. Much to the demise of Burkina Faso, those leaders were already compromised by their masters back in London and Paris and offered no hope to the Military in their fight against this extremism. Imagine you are going out to fight and potentially die for your people and country, while suited men sit in the capital handing out "suitcases of money" to bribe local officials and would rather do the bidding of their masters on a foreign continent, in the hope that they keep their political power!

A coup was the only rational choice when faced with such circumstances…

The fake coup leads to the real coup…

And so a coup happened in January 2022 under a man named Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba. He was a colleague and fellow soldier with Traoré in the ranks of the Army and was initially supported by Traoré in the early months of the coup. But after 9 months passed it was September and very little progress had been seen in a fight that now was a battle for the nation, as 40% of Burkina Faso’s territory was under ISIS-Sahel and other extremist group’s control. While military efforts were considerable during Damiba’s eight-month reign with more than 200 airstrikes and operations in which nearly 1,300 militants reportedly were killed and over 20 militant bases destroyed; they were not enough to stop the increasing militant activities and it appeared to those around him that he focused too much on finding a political end to the war that included dialogue and reconciliation. The trouble is, who would you expect to trust in dialogue or reconciliation, when dealing with extremists. And so it appears that Damiba himself was either compromised or he was simply unable to perform the demands of the job. He was quite effective in fighting the terrorists as an operative of the Army and so it begs the question, what changed as being its leader?

He was trained at the Ecole Militaire in Paris and holds a masters degree from the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers. Between 2010-20 he periodically received military training in the U.S. before returning to Burkina Faso each time. These periods include his participation in the Flintlock Joint Combined Exchange Training exercises in 2010 and 2020, while in 2013 he attended the U.S. State Department funded African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance course. In 2013 and 2014 he joined the Military Intelligence Basic Officer Course for Africa and finally in 2018 and 2019, he was trained in Burkina Faso with a U.S. Defense Department Civil Military Support Element linked to the failed G5. It is now a fact, that the region became overrun with terrorist activity during the American and French-led G5 group’s tenure, between 2014-23 and Damiba did not seek to remove them. And so, though the above information does not offer definitive proof of a traitor, it does throw up many questions; questions that I’ll leave the reader to form and make their own judgement from…

The dynamic coups swept across West Africa rapidly and it was quickly apparent in the streets of the capital cities of Ouagadougou, Niamey and Bamako, that the people were full of joy and hopeful of change. Russian flags started to appear at the rallies and billboards with support for Putin and Traoré were ever present. Russia’s fight in Ukraine against the Globalist Oligarchy seemed to align the country with the entire West African populace. The inevitable coup for Burkina Faso arrives in September 2022 and here enters Cpt. Ibrahim Traoré to the stage; a stage encased in fire and chaos and yet this young man was only 34 when he took power, faced with this seriously daunting task. He immediately showed his honor by rejecting the presidential salary and instead preferred to continue his commander salary from the Army and in doing so, made it easy to announce a pay cut of 30% for his now fellow government ministers and an increase of 50% in pay for civil servants. This was no power grab, these were the actions of a man with a real plan and vision for his nation and his first important plan for Burkina Faso, and regionally for the AES (A newly formed Alliance of Sahel States - Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali), includes the total defeat of terrorism in the Sahel region.

We need to make a list of all the achievements under his leadership that have set Burkina Faso on the path to peace by security and prosperity with economy.

1. In February 2023, he expelled the French forces assisting in fighting the local insurgency from Burkina Faso. "We really want to look at other horizons, because we want win-win partnerships" - Traoré.

2. In April 2023, he declared a general mobilization of the population to support the military. Already between October and November of 2022 a recruitment drive for the VDPs resulted in over 90,000 volunteers, exceeding the initial goal of 50,000. Under Traoré, the VDP’s role in military strategy has been significantly enlarged, not just as auxiliary forces but as a key element of the national defense strategy against terrorism.

3. On 29 July 2023, following the 2023 Russia–Africa Summit, Traoré said that the people of his country support Russia, and communicated that a decision had been made to reopen the Russian embassy, which was closed in 1992. In December, 2023 the Russian embassy was reopened.

4. In September 2023, he made the explosive announcement that Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger had come together to form the confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

5. He banned the use of British legal wigs and gowns in local courts in favor of traditional Burkinabé attire.

6. Since we are two years into President Ibrahim Traoré’s leadership, Burkina Faso has witnessed significant GDP growth. The country’s GDP has grown from approximately US$18.8 billion to US$22.1 billion.

7. Early on he made bold moves in rejecting the help of multinational lenders, the IMF and the World Bank stating firmly that “Africa doesn’t need the World Bank, IMF, Europe, or America”, showcasing his commitment to economic independence. This is spiritually paralleled in Sankara’s speech made to the United Nations General Assembly, 4th of October, 1984.

8. In November 2023, Burkina Faso's Council of Ministers approved the construction of the country's first gold refinery. The refinery is set to create 100 new jobs and 5,000 new indirect jobs, with the refinery producing roughly 400 kg of gold daily. A market-value equivalent of US$41,500,000 per day.

9. In February 2024, Traoré ordered the suspension of the issuance of export permits for small-scale private gold production, a move aimed at tackling illegal trade. According to the World Gold Council’s 2023 figures, Burkina Faso is the 13th-largest gold producer in the world, producing about 100 tonnes, equivalent to about US$6 billion in value, each year.

10. In March 2024, Burkina Faso and Russia signed a roadmap aimed at establishing cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Rosatom is leading the negotiations with the Government of Burkina Faso. In August, a delegation of technical experts from the Russian nuclear corporation arrived in Burkina Faso to negotiate the construction of a nuclear power plant.

11. In August 2024, Burkina Faso nationalized two gold mines at a cost of about US$80 million. The Boungou and Wahgnion mines were sold last year by London-listed Endeavour Mining to Lilium Mining for US$300 million. On August 27, the mines were purchased by Burkina Faso’s government.

12. In August 2024, Burkina Faso built its first pharmaceutical production plant, specializing in the production of generic drugs. Named Propharm and certified by an independent Spanish organization, it will start producing paracetamol 500 mg, phloroglucinol, an antispasmodic, as well as a "kit of oral rehydration salts and zinc, for the treatment of diarrhea", explained Propharm's General Manager, Armel Coéfé. "Our production capacity, at present, meets the local need and solves the problem of drastic rupture," he added, noting that the list of molecules to be produced will grow, especially "with the production of drugs for the management of malaria.”

13. In August 2024, Moroccan group CIMAF inaugurated a new industrial unit in the Burkinabe capital, Ouagadougou. This opening comes as part of Morocco’s “win-win” strategy in its relations with African countries. This investment is likely to not only boost local manufacturing capabilities but also facilitate technology transfer and knowledge sharing between Morocco and Burkina Faso. More South-South cooperation like this will bolster the African economy long-term.

14. In November and December of 2024, the government, through APEC and Société Faso Tomates (SOFATO), facilitated the launch of two tomato processing units in Bobo-Dioulasso and Yako. These facilities have a combined capacity to process 11 tonnes of tomatoes per hour. One factory cost US$8.9m, covers 1 ha and has a processing capacity of 100 tonnes of tomatoes per day (5 tonnes of tomatoes per hour). The facility has created 100 direct jobs and more than 1,500 indirect jobs, with these numbers expected to rise as operations expand. Expected to generate 7 billion FCFA or US$12.1 million in the first year. In 2022 alone, the country produced 313,500 tonnes of fresh tomatoes, yet it imported around 23,600 tonnes of tomato puree due to a lack of local processing capacity.

15. In February 2025, a new flour mill with a daily capacity of 220 tonnes of flour and 80 tonnes of bran was inaugurated in Gampéla, Burkina Faso, as part of national efforts to boost domestic production and reduce reliance on wheat and flour imports. The Moulin Double Star Mill (M2S) was constructed by the Zidnaba Group at a cost of 15 billion CFA francs (US$23.6 million). Burkina Faso imported 270,300 tonnes of wheat and 16,700 tonnes of wheat flour to meet domestic demand in 2023. Burkina Faso does not yet produce wheat. The government announced in October the country had dedicated 5,000 hectares to the grain for the 2024-25 season to enhance food security and begin to reduce dependency on imports.

16. He distributed over 400 tractors, 239 tillers, 710 motor pumps and 714 motorcycles to boost production and support rural stakeholders. Access to improved seeds and other farm inputs was also provided to maximize agricultural output. As a result, tomato production increased from 315,000 tonnes in 2022 to 360,000 tonnes in 2024. Millet production rose from 907,000 tonnes in 2022 to 1.1 million tonnes in 2024, while rice production increased from 280,000 tonnes in 2022 to 326,000 tonnes in 2024.

17. In March 2025, Burkina Faso inaugurates a new cement plant, CISINOB SA, with 2,000 tonnes-per-day capacity. The plant is a mutually beneficial partnership between Burkina Faso and China. “It is with legitimate pride that I inaugurated today, March 20, 2025, in Laongo, the cement plant of CISINOB SA. With a production capacity of 2,000 tonnes per day, it will provide employment opportunities for hundreds of young people in our country,” Traoré stated on his official X handle

    

18. Now rebranded as SOFITEX, the reopening of the iconic FASO FANI textile factory in Koudougou, which once symbolized the nation’s industrial pride, has been completed this April, while two newly launched cotton processing plants in the economic hubs of Bobo-Dioulasso and Ouagadougou, equipped with modern equipment, have opened too. For years, the nation exported over 95% of its raw cotton without processing it locally.

19. In 2025, Burkina Faso's President Ibrahim Traoré turned down Saudi Arabia's offer to construct 200 masjids in his country, stating that Burkina Faso already has enough masjids. Instead, he requested that Saudi Arabia invests in infrastructure projects such as schools, hospitals, and job-creating businesses, which he believes are more crucial for the nation's development and long-term sustainability.

20. In the essential department of infrastructure development, Traoré’s government is constructing new roads, widening existing ones and upgrading gravel roads to paved surfaces. A new state-of-the-art airport, the Ouagadougou-Donsin Airport, is also being built, expected to be completed in 2025 with a capacity to handle 1 million passengers annually.

    

The spirit of Sankara is reborn…

Ibrahim Traoré is a threat to the West because he is a true Pan-African leader, who wants to defeat terrorism and restore real, lasting sovereignty for the nation and security across its borders. Like Sankara before him and, as clearly witnessed in the achievements listed above, Traoré wishes to and has already begun restoring the national economy via the building of the productive powers that will unlock the value that has laid dormant due to the generational corruption. He dreams of a national education standard where every Burkinabe is not only literate in reading, writing and math but scientifically and culturally uplifted by knowledge too.

Left to succeed, he is a dangerous force for anyone who seeks to dominate or control Africa any longer. His 18 or more assassination attempts only succeed in increasing his popularity and icon and demonstrate the almighty fear he puts into those who want to continue the current status quo. Right now, the entire youth of Africa that has access to the internet, knows about this man and they wholeheartedly support his leadership with a renewed vigor. This was made apparent at a recent rally for the new President of Ghana, John Mahama (a fellow Pan-Africanist), when amongst other welcomed leaders, it was Traoré who received a celebrity like welcome from the crowd, with everyone celebrating his attendance like he was a superstar. The world would do well to watch this man because he is a star that only seeks to rise and with it, will rise a nation from the dust to the heavens…

Sankara poetically said this - “While revolutionaries as individuals can be murdered, you cannot kill ideas”.

It would appear that Traoré is lit by the very same flame, so long may he light up this world with more visionary Pan-African ideas and may the African youth continue to unite around this Pan-African spirit…

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Project 1.

Name: Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project

Where: Lagos - Calabar, Nigeria

Type: Highway

Length: 750km

Cost: N15.356 Trillion Naira or $10 Billion Usd

Contractor: HITECH Construction Company (Nigeria)

Construction start: March, 2024

Construction end: 2032

Significance:

This Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway runs through a total of nine states with two of its spurs leading all the way to the Northern States in the country while this artery will improve access to industrial zones, tourist destinations, and economic hubs in the region, as well as enhance access to education, healthcare, and essential services.

The Lagos-Calabar coastal highway will eventually integrate significant routes such as the Badagry Expressway, the Fourth Mainland Bridge to Lagos and the Lekki Deep Seaport Road.

The Third Mainland Bridge onto Lagos Island, has a few crucial elements that need to be rehabilitated:

• The deck which is approximately 11 kilometers x two.

• The dual carriage way inclusive of the ramps. It has been done by the CCECC (China). They have done a quality job but have not yet finished.

Lanes: 5 lanes either side of the highway for the majority of the route. 10 lanes in total.

Wind Turbines: Will be incorporated within the highway corridor to generate clean energy.

Solar Lights: Installed along the highway for better visibility and safety.

Train Service: Planned to run in-between the entire alignment. This will be within the median strips of main roads which will immensely facilitate in enhancing transportation flexibility.

The project uses the construction technique of 11-inch pavements reinforced with 20-millimeter steel. This technique underpins the project’s commitment to utilizing local resources while it also promotes domestic industries in Nigeria. This method leverages Nigeria’s rich bitumen reserves and also aims to boost local cement production and steel manufacturing, companies such as Ajokuta Steel Company.

The first 30 kilometers of the highway project, Phase 1 - Section 1, will be finished before end of May, 2025. Furthermore, the minister revealed that the flag off for the construction works of Sections 3A and 3B of the highway in Calabar, was imminent.

The Government plans to toll the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. The Government expects to have returned its investment on the road after 15 years upon completion.

Economic experts have indicated that completing just the initial phase of the project could potentially boost the Lagos State economy by 50%.

“We are very thankful to God Almighty for this highway project that Mr. President kicked off. Indeed, it has been a dream of roughly 27 years and has been made fresh before us, we are lucky to be part of this wonderful, evolving, mega project, biggest ever known in the continent-The Lagos-Calabar Superhighway,” said the Minister of Works, David Umahi.

“The Federal Government will fund 30% of the project. This is being fulfilled by the president and as for now, there is a foreign aspect on the project which is the foreign funding. This will fast track the performance of this highway project,” he added.

He also applauded Hitech Construction Company Nigeria Ltd for their quality and speedy delivery of the tasks assigned to them

Project 2.

Name: Koysha Hydropower Dam

Where: Ethiopia

Type: Hydropower Dam

Capacity: 1.8 GW or 6,460 GWh annually

Cost: $2.7 Billion Usd

Contractor: Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) + Salini Impregilo/WeBuild (Italy)

Construction start: March, 2016.

Construction end: Currently at 65% complete. Completion in 2026.

Significance:

Ethiopia has been expanding its renewable energy sector, focusing on hydropower with Koysha Hydropower Dam becoming part of a family of major dams, beginning with the GERD. Last November, the Ministry of Water and Energy announced that the country’s total energy capacity had surpassed 6,000 MW, mainly due to hydropower projects. The government aims to double this to 13,000 MW by 2028 to meet demand and boost exports. Ethiopia’s eight major river basins hold an estimated 45,000 MW of hydropower potential and so although these recent developments are an incredible achievement, we have a further to travel along this road.

Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous country with 126.5 million people, has some of the continent’s richest freshwater resources. The hydropower reservoir capacity is 9,000 million cubic meter, with total number of pipes and long channels running water to the turbines, expected to be 3 in number. It has 201 meters height and 1012 meters length and the contractor has deployed six turbines, each generating 300 megawatts. Upon completion of the project, an artificial lake 130 kilometers long and with a 200 square kilometer area, will be created.

Unlike other major energy projects, Koysha has faced difficulties securing concessional loans. Initially financed with a €340 million loan from three banks, the project suffered delays due to funding shortages. To complete the remaining work, Ethiopia secured a non-concessional loan of $950 Million, in August 2024 and so from hereon, we should see a rapid completion from the current 65% already complete.

Project 3.

Name: Mozambique LNG project

Where: Mozambique

Type: LNG extraction and export project

Capacity: 12.88 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) - expansion up to 43 MTPA

Cost: $24 Billion Usd

Financier: U.S Exim Bank + Africa Exim bank

Contractor: TotalEnergies (26.5%), Mitsui Group (20%), Mozambique’s state company ENH (15%), ONGC (10%), Bharat PetroResources (10%), PTTEP (8.5%), and Oil India (10%)

Construction start: TBC - likely 2025.

Construction end: TBC - estimates aim for 2030 after a 3-5 year construction period.

Significance:

Mozambique only recently discovered that it has massive deposits of LNG sitting alongside its coastline in 2010. The Rovuma basin, offshore in the Indian Ocean, specifically in the Cabo Delgado province. The timeline was as follows:

• 2010:

  Anadarko, a US energy company, discovered natural gas deposits in the Rovuma basin, below offshore deep waters in the Indian Ocean.

• 2011:

  Italian energy company ENI SpA also discovered an immense gas field in the same area.

Based on the above, the board of the US Export-Import Bank has just approved a $4.7 Billion Usd loan, that is currently the biggest piece of funding for TotalEnergies Mozambique LNG project with plans for the construction of two initial liquefaction units to begin soon. TotalEnergies CEO, Patrick Poyanne, mentioned last month that he was expecting funding from the United States to be approved in coming weeks. Additionally, funding from other credit agencies will follow in the coming months.

The project has the potential to deliver enormous economic benefits to Mozambique and its people, while also including initiatives for local economic development and social investment.

However, it has also brought on social problems with issues related to the displacement of local populations, and the security problems that have arisen recently, upon the discovery of large LNG deposits in Mozambique. Construction works on the project had to be stopped four years ago due to the Islamic State-linked militant attacks in the area.

This project is set to make Mozambique a major LNG producer in Africa and a major energy provider for the continent by default. Its incredible to think that this massive country with a comparatively small population at 34 million, didn’t even know of the deposits until 15 years ago. This just goes to show, how little we have discovered under the surface of African crust.

Prof. Benedict Oramah, President of Afreximbank, said:

“We are confident the Mozambique LNG project will create opportunities for the people of the country and drive sustainable economic growth. We believe that the success of projects such as this will create a precedent through which other development projects in Africa can secure funding and gain international traction. We are delighted to be one of the key stakeholders involved in this project which will accelerate the rate of growth of intra-African trade.”

This class goes into the reasons for this belief as i look at road network development and railway development as a means of economic transportation, not just of peoples and tourists but more importantly, of goods and commerce for world trade. I look at the quantity of major infrastructure being built from Energy producing projects to all forms of transport. These two foundational parts of any nation building economy are essential in leading to economic independence for that nation and it is here that the East African region is the most developed as a whole and in terms of regional integration, when compared to the others.

Africa’s time is very much now and i advise my readers to get stuck into physical economics as a way of almost foreseeing some part of the future. If one knows what is to be built and when that project comes online, one can begin to predict with some certainty, the real future economic growth and not in merely monetary terms but in physical economic terms, where the standard of the livelihoods of the nations citizens, increases rapidly. Their power to act with creative will and build new enterprise is greatened and the power to extract more value from their raw materials is greatened due to the increased powers in production.

Africa’s economic independence is just around the next corner in world history, join me in watching this space with hope and excitement…

*This class was done while i was on my travels in Kenya, with my young family. It was our 6th time in the country and the progress we are seeing yearly, is astounding. Soon the country will be linked by rail and road with Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.

Too many mistakes by the Rules Based Order…

What we are witnessing is an attempt to strongarm the world into new trade agreements with the USA, with the aim of restoring America’s economic power, which today has greatly waned. Mistakes made in our recent past, such as over-leveraging the Usd with the massive QE printing addiction of the last two decades, resulting in massive inflation of the currency and leading to the current de-dollarization blitz playing domino around the world. All this, while the sanctioning of small nations, some 30 to 40 years of economic warfare, launched against the poor people of Zimbabwe or Somalia, all in vain, for rarely were any of the political elite in those countries ever interested in joining arms with the west, especially after such foul treatment.

It all ended abruptly, when the Globalists went after Russia for they assumed that Russia would fall, the same way Zimbabwe and many others had before it. The Globalist Oligarchy, hellbent on serving American and NATO empirical interests, came up short against Russia, as is now witnessed by the entire world and has lost the Ukrainian war it started in 2014. It has lost the economic warfare it started based on that war and sanctions have backfired because Russians, alongside their President - Vladimir Putin, have orchestrated one of the most dynamic and efficient economic shifts, in all human history. The western corporations that left Russia were supposed to leave a hole in economic production so big, that Russia would be short of essential parts and products for her Military industrial complex, Automobile industries, Pharmaceutical industries and so on. The plan was to conduct a shock therapy policy similar to the 90’s policy dished out on the Russians by the Clintons and their ‘Manchurian’ candidate, Boris Yeltsin; inclusive with mass market exodus, mass sanctions on all goods exported and imported, destroy its mineral and petrochemical industries by cutting off the European export market (Nord Stream), destroy the value of the Ruble and make ordinary Russians poor, so poor that they might overthrow their own leader and give into western demands. Same plan, same old news…

Russia, Russia, Russia…

Nyet! Russia stood strong again, she exposed to the world, that the hegemon is complacent beyond any measure of sanity. She domesticated her industries at a historic rate and thanks to China and India, had two major consumer markets to sell her huge energy resources too and to continue to market its high end technology and scientific industries also. All the domestic “holes” in production that were supposed to appear, were quickly plugged up and by 2023 almost all the gaps were filled in. In 2022, just over 100 new plants were commissioned and things sped up in 2023, when 176 new large-scale manufacturing factories were commissioned. 276 large scale manufacturing factories established in just 24 months is an astounding action for any nation to take, but Russia was forced to do so and in many ways, we are thankful that she was, for it proved to the world this; that one can separate itself entirely from the western imposed and dominated political and financial architecture, built upon, layer by layer, since the Bretton woods agreement in 1944 and emerge from that experience not gasping for air, but almost walking on water.

2024 saw some impressive metrics come up for Russia and the world stopped to take notice; 4.1% GDP growth after a 3.9% forecast, Industrial output grew by 4.6%, with the manufacturing sector leading the way at 8.5%, unemployment percentages continue to fall and are currently at 2.4%, Exports hold strong and the production and export of energy, namely crude oil and natural gas, didn’t waiver at all.

Let’s get back to Africa…

The graph at the top of this article shows those worst affected and the steep percentages that will be added on top of any products imported from those countries.

The two largest African nations to be slapped with tariffs are South Africa at 31% and Algeria at 30%. These two countries are significant in that South Africa is the USA's largest trading partner on the continent, with a two-way trade volume of $21.1 billion in 2023, while Algeria, Africa’s largest country by area, is also the 2nd largest exporter of natural gas to Europe currently, due to the Russian sanctions and politically, carries a lot of weight, even in sub-Saharan Africa. Of course, the U.S. president exempted energy and energy products from the tariffs, alongside copper and certain critical minerals for these are the products that the U.S desperately needs right now.

South Africa has been targeted mainly because they, alongside Brazil, are considered to be the weak link in the BRICS group. Algeria is also looking to join the BRICS and are being considered seriously as a future partner in the near term, hence the focus on those two, close to the top of the table. Trump has stated that he is not a fan of BRICS and seems to have been set on a war path with them, though it still remains unclear what his general policy towards the group will be. If his current behavior towards South Africa is anything to go by, then I’d lean towards the idea that he considers the group an enemy to U.S. interests and will start attacking the periphery of that group to bring it into disrepute with the world and kill the idea of anyone jumping off the rules-based order ship. Using the plight of White farmers and land rights in South Africa as a proxy to intervene in one’s domestic affairs, puts Trump in the corner of an awkward history. Whether Elon intervened or not, on the part of his white supremacist apartheid background, it is a very clumsy attempt to manipulate this BRICS member into doing the USA’s bidding and because South Africa is a leader on the continent, it is probably hoped that by making an example of them, the others will simply fall into line. The Global South does not seem to be shaking at the knees just yet Mr. Trump…

Better to be an enemy than a friend…

The trade between the USA and Africa isn’t massive on the whole, “The U.S. represented 7.45% of South Africa’s total exports in 2024, while South Africa accounted for only 0.4% of U.S. total imports,” the Department of International Relations and Cooperation said in a statement while about 30 African nations exported $8.4 billion of cars, oil and garments to the U.S. last year. Nothing major! So why would Trump go after small nations like Lesotho, that by way of trade, are also pretty insignificant to the U.S. economy. It would appear for the smaller nations, that it is simply a shake-down, so that the U.S. economy can rake in free money through tariff charges. A country like Lesotho won’t be able to respond in kind and will either buckle under the pressure and accept the charges or quickly renegotiate a new trade deal with the U.S. Or instead, they could simply turn off the tap to the USA, turn to the East in China, Russia and India for trade partners, who would then duly absorb any lost revenue from the USA and therefore, redefine the world supply chain and economy in hyper speed.

I do think Trump needs to engineer a major turn around for the U.S. economy and tariffs are an essential tool in achieving this but it comes right at a time when everyone is quietly following Russia’s lead and de-dollarizing. It’s a bit of a cat and mouse game because Russia opened Pandora’s box and proved that any nation can exit the rules-based order when they have the economic backing of China and BRICS en large. Paradoxically, Putin has done for Russia what Trump wishes to do for the USA - to re-shore industry and manufacturing back to Russia and to be capable to produce anything you need domestically thereafter. That is a national economy serving the needs of the population while providing high quality labor for the people too. By way of sanctions, The USA made Russia great again!

No Aid for us, No power for you…

The conclusion for the time being, is that Trumps Tariffs on Africa are likely to backfire in many negative ways and most likely, will end the same way the sanctions policy has with Russia. Instead of forcing Russia back into the western sphere of interest and reducing it to the state of the vassalized European nations, it strengthened Russia, nationally and internationally. Russia and China became united by their common competitor, a reality unforeseen by so called western experts over the decades and unfortunately for them has left the rules-based order in complete disarray. This is because the poles of power have changed and today there are many options and potential partners to get you out of a tricky situation, especially when it serves their interests too.

The Global South and especially ‘the grand prize’ - Africa, have many options to choose from in this emerging multipolar world. Yes, they have lost access to USAID funding for healthcare programs, some of which were essential in providing the poorest with aid and yet long term, this is a good policy for Africa. Since many years, it has been known that it is in fact the Aid handouts funneled through western charities and NGOs that have corrupted much of the elite in Africa. Instead of countries receiving low-interest credit lines for major nation building projects, the likes China are building, they receive handouts in the tens or hundreds of millions that don’t make it past the administration costs and rarely end up helping the people they claim to be helping. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa last week noted that America’s decision to slash PEPFAR, which contributed 17% of South Africa’s cost of fighting HIV/AIDS, was a ‘wake-up call’ to his government to fund that 17% itself. A wake-up call but not a fire in the wings…

Most of Africa’s benefits when it comes to the USA-Africa trade deal, ACOA, a deal that has allowed African countries duty-free access to the U.S. market, since Bill Clinton signed it into law in May 2000, will be null and void. Kenya is one of the few countries that stand to gain in the current tariff climate with a meagre 10% tariff applied on goods. The government believes that this could actually benefit the country, with increased FDI in its already fast-growing textiles industry due to Asia getting a worse deal on the tariff front. Lesotho, on the other hand, forecasts that Trump’s tariffs will put 12,000 textile jobs in 11 factories at risk. Minister of Trade and Industry - Mokhethi Shelile said, “That’s a third of the jobs in the industry, which is the largest formal employer in the country after the government.” Powerhouse Ethiopia, has already lost access to ACOA for the civil war that was conducted against the Tigray uprising, in 2021. That war resulted in 18 companies, including PVH Corp., the owner of the Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger brands, exiting the country due to sanctions put on by the U.S, resulting in 11,479 jobs being lost, according to the National Bank of Ethiopia. This was a clear cut attempt to regime change the brilliant government of Prime Minister - Abiy Ahmed, for the west wishes to restrain his nation building program, despises Ethiopia’s All-weather strategic partnership with China and feels threatened by their addition to the BRICS group, for they will eventually lead the smaller African nations to the same Multi-polar system.

And so as the rules-based order tightens the noose to try and maintain “order” over what it considers its dominion, in reality, it is losing its long forged soft power all around the world. The Global South with its open system thinking, has other plans now and most importantly, other partners. Tariffs could work in a world where the economic powers of production are mainly centered in the west but today’s world is far different to the previous century. The powers of production now very much lie in Asia with Africa waiting to be the next frontier and there is nothing anyone can do to stop the flow of this tide. Africa will be economically emancipated and it is necessary for the continued expansion and improvement of the human experience. The world needs an industrialized and prosperous Africa if the world wishes to have Peace and Security. If only the USA would partner with BRICS+ to bring about this new economic renaissance that is waiting in the wings. If they don’t find themselves utterly defeated by the sovereigns at the the end of this decade, then maybe they still have a chance to become a truth loving republic once again and unite in a multi-polar world with China, Russia and the Global South…

Project 1.

Name: Julius Nyerere hydropower plant

Where: Tanzania

Type: Hydropower Dam

Capacity: 2.1GWh or 5,920GWh every year

Cost: $2.9 Billion Usd

Contractor: Arab Contractors Company and El-Sewedy Electric

Construction start: June 2019

Construction end: June, 2025

Significance:

The dam possesses a total length of up to 1,025 meters and also contains a total storage capacity of approximately 34 billion cubic meters. The implementation of this Dam project has foreseen the employment of 8,000 Tanzania nationals and 1,000 Egyptians. The dam will secure clean energy that will be distributed to over 60 million citizens in Ethiopia and will manage the floods during periods of heavy rains. El-Sewedy, the contractor, revealed that the successful completion of the 400 KVA distribution and connection station has made the project possible to be integrated into the Tanzanian national grid and that also, 8 out of 9 turbines have already been installed since February, 2025. Considering Tanzania’s total electricity production stands at 3.4 GW, this will be a quantum leap in Energy generation taking new revised production capacity to 5.5GW with this project alone. The dam will also be the fourth largest in Africa, the ninth largest in the world and the largest power station in East Africa.

“As of November, 22, 2024, the country’s maximum electricity demand reached 1,842MW. This is slightly up from 1,839MW the previous day,” noted Mr. Rwebangila (Assistant commissioner for energy development at the Ministry of Energy)

He also stated that to date, the four operational turbines are generating a combined 940MW. “The fifth turbine is set to be switched on soon, bringing us closer to the target of activating all nine turbines by June next year.” He means June, 2025 and the fifth turbine did in fact go live in May, 2024.

Project 2.

Name: Talanta City Sports Stadium

Where: Kenya

Type: International Sports Stadium

Size and Capacity: 105m x 68m - 60,000 People

Cost: $250 Million Usd

Contractor: China Road and Bridge Corporation

Construction start: March 2024

Construction end: December 2025

Significance:

Designed exclusively for football and rugby matches, with no athletics track. It will host matches during the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Tech-savvy facility with top-level live TV broadcasts, VAR, and goal-line technology. It also includes seven changing rooms and green spaces.

A modern stadium with vibrant Architecture, representing the color and culture of Kenya. Will provide modern facilities to hold many international sports events, entertainment events or international conferences and trade fairs.

“From today’s briefing and from what I have seen, I can say that the stadium will be ready in December. I am very impressed with the progress here and also with other Stadiums (I.e. Nyayo and Kasarani). As you can see, there is a lot of work going on in all the departments such as the VIP stand and the terraces. Definitely, it’s going on well,” - Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, Salim Mvurya.

Project 3.

Name: Kenitra-Marrakech high-speed railway line

Where: Morocco

Type: Train

Length: 346km Kenitra - Marrakech + 112km Regional single track

Cost: $5.3 Billion Usd

Contractor: Colas Rail - Bouygues (France) + Société Générale des Travaux du Maroc (SGTM) (Morocco) + CRCC 20 + China Railway No.04 Engineering + Shandong Hi-Speed Engineering-Construction (China) + TGCC + Jet Contractors + Mojazine Group and STAM (Morocco).

Construction start: December 2024

Construction end: 2028

Significance:

This high-speed rail project is aimed to reduce travel time between Marrakech and Tangier which currently takes 7 hours, down to 2 hours and 45 minutes. Official reports show that Morocco’s National Railways Office (ONCF), is working to purchase 168 new trains to modernize its fleet. The project will be electrified for 64% of the line.

The Kenitra-Marrakech high-speed rail project is part of a larger US$8.7 billion plan covering the country’s 2,309 kilometer network that aims to either build new lines or upgrade current infrastructure before the 2030 World Cup. The US$5.3 billion Kenitra-Marrakech high-speed rail line is funded partly by a US$14 billion loan from the African Development Bank to ONCF. This funding exceeds the initial funding request of US$8.8 billion, however, it will be used to fund other projects such as the Laayoune and Dakhla projects which are currently in the discussion phase for construction.

It makes traveling around the country of Morocco seem like light years ahead of where it was just a decade ago. We are looking at a near future where the Moroccan people and business cargo can travel the entire length of the nation and back in just half a day starting from Kenitra or Agadir. Even by car on modern highways, it takes 6h and 11 minutes to drive the route from Tangier to Marrakesh, a 572km drive, whereas the train will take a mere 2 hours 45 mins. The extension to Agadir, which will probably be finished before 2030 too, will only take another hour, rather than the extra 2 hours it takes by car. So 8 hours, excluding any breaks, to drive by car from north to south or 3 hours 45 minutes, sat on a smooth and seamless silver bullet train…

I know which option I’d take!