To many Africans, it was a shock when the U.S. Secretary of State labeled African Stream as a Russian-financed media outlet. Following this, U.S.-run platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook swiftly banned African Stream, marking a sad day for media freedom. This move contradicts the U.S. and its allies’ frequent calls for free speech and open media, rights they now appear to violate themselves.
This approach should raise concern not only among African citizens but also among African governments. It calls for decisive action from the African Union and the Pan-African Parliament, as these organizations are tasked with defending African sovereignty, freedoms, and the right to self-determination.
While the U.S. made these baseless allegations without any supporting evidence, a closer examination of African Stream’s platforms reveals that its founders are African, with content that has consistently focused on Africa, its people, and the African diaspora. A review of their work prior to their deplatforming shows no connection to Russia—only a commitment to highlighting African narratives.
This sabotage of African Stream is a revelation of many aspects about media in Africa and African politics; the fact that no African governments including Kenya the home of African stream, has come out to defend the platform, shows that majority African governments are in the hands of imperialism, on the other hand, it is no surprise that many African main stream media platforms have not reported on this, majority are towing western lines and are far removed from the real interests of the African people hence needing re-alignment.
However, the true reasons behind African Stream’s banning appear to be far removed from the U.S. government’s claims.
**First, it’s about accountability.** The U.S. and its allies have long operated on the African continent with little to no scrutiny, exploiting resources, undermining governments, and, in some cases, killing African citizens, as seen in Somalia using U.S military drones. African Stream dared to challenge this status quo by exposing the U.S. military’s role in escalating terrorist attacks in the Sahel and its continued mistreatment of the African diaspora through mass incarceration and denial of civil rights. The West, having hoped that its propaganda would pacify African resistance, now faces growing demands for accountability.
**Second, it ties back to a strategic memo from 1978.** In National Security Memorandum 46, the U.S. outlined a strategy to divide Africans on the continent from those in the diaspora, fearing that their unity would threaten U.S. interests—namely, the exploitation of African resources, which the U.S. now refers to as “supply chains.” The U.S. also sought to prevent African Americans from receiving any support from the continent, whether in the form of financial aid for their struggle against oppression or diplomatic backing at the United Nations, which would expose the hypocrisy of U.S. political leaders.
The exposure of U.S hegemony on the continental needs to be escalated, and its claim to Africa’s resources stopped, more so African people are called to be vigilant in the face of western intensified propaganda and reject most broadcasts and news coming from the western media platforms. African people are called to rally behind Pan Africanism, the African Contiinenatal Unity Party, All African People’s Revolutionary Party and other credible Pan African organizations engaged in building a new Africa and by Africans without western humiliating domination and impoverishment.
African centered platforms and news should be prioritised over neocolonial platforms, Africans must spend their money wisely to where it will benefit other Africans.
