An Egyptian lawyer has taken legal action against the popular streaming platform, Netflix. The lawyer filed a case with the Public Prosecutor calling for the closure of the platform after the release of the trailer for the upcoming movie, “Queen Cleopatra.”
The film depicts the Greek historical figure as a black-skinned woman, a portrayal that has caused controversy and sparked outrage in Egypt.
The lawyer argues that the depiction is historically inaccurate and offensive to the Egyptian people.
According to Egypt Independent, Mahmoud al-Semary demanded that all legal measures be taken against those responsible for the documentary and the management of the streaming platform for its participation in “this crime.”
The complaint submitted against the streaming platform alleged that “most of what Netflix platform displays contradicts Islamic and societal values and principles, especially Egyptian ones.”, Greek city times reported.
The case said that the documentary promotes Afrocentrism that is widely spread on social media, which have slogans and writings aimed at distorting and obliterating the Egyptian identity.
The complaint continued addressing Public Prosecution: “In order to preserve the Egyptian national and cultural identity among Egyptians all over the world… we ask and seek you to take the necessary legal measures against this platform.”
It demanded stopping broadcasts showing all works aimed at obliterating and distorting the Egyptian identity, through films aimed at falsifying and distorting history in Egypt.
The Berber people were either Christians, Jews, or Animists before the Arab invasion in the seventh century. An animist holds that all plants, animals, and even the soil are spiritual, linking us all to one another, and that it is not just humans who have souls and spirits. The Arab nation forced the Berbers to convert to Islam after conquering them.
Because they didn’t have a written language in the past, the Berbers’ lengthy and ancient history has mostly been forgotten. The discovery of cave drawings provided the first indication of their past. In Tadrart Acacus, Libya, North African cave paintings that date back as far as 12,000 years have been discovered.
Many of the paintings depict farming activities and domestic animals. There are also paintings that have been found at Tassili n’Ajjer in southeastern Algeria.
Geographical Distribution Of The Berber People
The Berber people, also known as Imazighen or Amazighs, are indigenous to North Africa and predate the Arab conquest of the region. Tracing their roots back to the Neolithic era, they have inhabited the area for millennia, developing a distinct cultural and linguistic identity that sets them apart from other ethnic groups in the region. Berber languages, which belong to the Afro-Asiatic language family, exhibit a remarkable diversity, with Tamazight being the most widely spoken variant.
Cultural Traditions
The Berber tribe is renowned for its rich cultural traditions, which have been passed down through generations. These traditions encompass various aspects of life, including music, dance, art, cuisine, and architecture. Berber music is characterized by rhythmic drumming, vibrant melodies, and lyrics that reflect the tribe’s history, social values, and deep connection to the land. Traditional dances, such as the Ahwash and the Aïta, showcase the tribe’s communal spirit and celebrate significant events and milestones.
Rather than abandoning these traditions, the Berber tribe merged their customs with Islamic principles, creating a unique blend that reflects their distinctive identity. Islamic values of justice, brotherhood, collective responsibility, equality, and compassion resonated deeply with the Berbers, and these principles became interwoven with their existing social structures and practices.
Another cornerstone of Berber culture is their delicious cuisine, which incorporates a diverse range of ingredients and flavors. Staple foods like couscous, tagine, and mint tea are enjoyed across the region, often prepared using traditional techniques passed down through generations. These culinary delights offer a glimpse into the Berber tribe’s culinary artistry and the fusion of indigenous ingredients with influences from Arab, Mediterranean, and sub-Saharan African cuisines.
Maasai Tribe is one of the nearly fifty indigenous tribes in Kenya, the Maasai is well-known representatives of African culture. The cultural diversity of Kenya, which includes people descended from Bantu, Nilotic, and Afro-Asian peoples, contributes to the country’s appeal.
The most popular Bantu tribe in Kenya is the Kikuyu, and the Kalenjin tribe is known for producing elite athletes. Swahili, Kenya’s official language, is derived from Afro-Asiatic groups, although it is the Nilotic tribes of Samburu, Turkana, and of course the Maasai that are most closely associated with East African safaris.
The Maasai Tribe of Kenya
The Maasai are people from East Africa who are ‘Maa’ language speakers. Their red robes are tall and stunning, standing out against the blond savannah grass of Africa. Images of the Maasai tribe are recognizable whether they are standing, dancing, herding cattle, or traversing an animal-filled landscape. The Maasai people were traditionally nomadic pastoralists, but history has compelled them to form an unexpected alliance with the African environment, tourism, and conservation.
Who are the Maasai people?
Literally translated, the Maasai are people who speak the ‘Maa’ language. Spreading across northern, central, and southern Kenya and northern Tanzania, the Maasai were once the most dominant tribe in the region. Arriving in the 16th and 17th centuries from the Nilo-Sahara area, they bought with them their cattle and acumen for battle. They quickly gained dominance in the area and expanded to their peak around the 19th century when agrarian settlements and the arrival of Europeans ushered in a period of decline.
Today there are about 22 sub-tribes within the Maasai people, each with its own dialect, appearance, and customs. These ‘iloshon’ or ‘nations’ are the Dalalekutuk, Keekonyokie, Ilchamus, Ildamat, Ilkaputiei, Ilkirasha, Ilkisonko, Ilooldokilani, Laikipiak, Laitayiok, Larusa, Loitai, Loitokitoki, Matapato, Moitanik, Parakuyo, Purko, Salei, Samburu, Siria, Sirinket, and Wuasinkishu.
Because they were nomadic, the Maasai tribe inhabited vast tracts of land, moving from place to place in search of grazing land for their cattle. As East Africa became more populated, the Maasai were gradually pressured out of their best grazing land and into more arid territories. In the mid to late 20th century, much of their land was taken away and turned into protected wildlife areas.
Living on the outskirts of these wildlife sanctuaries and needing grazing for their cattle created conflict between national parks, the Maasai people, their cattle, and wildlife. In an unexpected turn of events, through the massive growth in safari tourism and the formation of conservancies, the Maasai have become custodians of the natural world. Today the Maasai tribe is an integral part of Kenya’s economy and stands at the forefront of conservation efforts to preserve Kenya’s wildlife.
“A Maasai warrior is a fine sight. Those young men have, to the utmost extent, that particular form of intelligence that we call chic; daring and wildly fantastical as they seem, they are still unswervingly true to their own nature, and to an inherent ideal. Their style is not an assumed manner, nor an imitation of a foreign perfection; it has grown from the inside and is an expression of the race and its history, and their weapons and finery are as much a part of their being as are a stag’s antlers.”
-Karen Blixen. Out of Africa
History of the Maasai Tribe
Originally from modern-day Sudan, the Maasai people migrated south in search of better grazing for their cattle. They arrived in East Africa around 1700, and continued past lake Turkana, and through Kenya’s highlands, before settling in the vast savannahs of Southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania.
Semi-nomadic pastoralists, the Maasai believe that god created the Maasai first, and then lowered cattle to earth via a woven rope. After this, the rest of mankind was created. Therefore, for the Maasai tribe, to not own cattle is to be truly poor. This was both their strength and their downfall. When the land was abundant, the Maasai tribe thrived as their animal husbandry skills ensured their wealth. However, by the 19th century, the Maasai were in decline, victims of the battle between pastoralists and agriculturists. As settlements became more advanced, and organized agrarian societies became stronger, the Maasai people lost their ascendancy.
In the late 19th and early 20th century, the Maasai were struck a triple blow. In 1897 and 1898 the rains failed to cause widespread drought, cattle-related diseases decimated the Maasai herds killing up to 90% of their cattle, and finally, a smallpox epidemic raged. During this period as many as two-thirds of the Maasai population died.
The Maasai tribe did survive the colonial era by fleeing to more arid and less desirable pastures. From about 1940, the Maasai have lost land at Ngorongoro, Lake Nakuru, Amboseli, Mt Meru, and Kilimanjaro, Amboseli, Nairobi National Park, Samburu, Masai Mara, Tsavo, Lake Manyara, and the Serengeti. Kenya’s independence from Britain in 1963 did not lessen pressure on the Maasai. The new independent Kenyan and Tanzanian governments continued their attempts to ‘modernize’ the Maasai tribe into a sedentary people.
The Maasai today remain a proud people with deep cultural roots and strong African traditions. Their animal husbandry skills and their knowledge of the land are seeing a revival as they become an integral part of East African conservation strategies.
Maasai or Masai: The Maasai are speakers of the Maa language. The Masai Mara is the National Park that plays host to the Wildebeest Great Migration.
Hatshepsut[a] (c. 1507–1458 BC) was the fifth pharaoh of Egypt’s Eighteenth Dynasty and the Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Thutmose II. She ruled from around 1479 BC to approximately 1458 BC as queen regnant (Low Chronology). She succeeded Sobekneferu/Nefrusobek in the Twelfth Dynasty as Egypt’s second undisputed monarch.
The Great Royal Wife Ahmose and Thutmose I’s sister, Hatshepsut, were their parents. She first governed as regent to her stepson Thutmose III, who succeeded to the throne at the age of two, after the passing of her husband and half-brother Thutmose II. Hatshepsut became co-ruler with Thutmose III after assuming the role of pharaoh and adopting the full royal titulary several years into her reign.
In order to establish herself in the Egyptian patriarchy, she took on traditionally male roles and was depicted as a male pharaoh, with physically masculine traits and traditionally male garb. Hatshepsut’s reign was a period of great prosperity and general peace.
One of the most prolific builders in Ancient Egypt, she oversaw large-scale construction projects such as the Karnak Temple Complex, the Red Chapel, the Speos Artemidos and most famously, the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari.
Most likely around Year 22 of Thutmose III, Hatshepsut passed away. A move was made to omit her from the official narratives of Egyptian historiography around the conclusion of Thutmose III’s rule and into his son Amenhotep II’s.
Many of her accomplishments were attributed to other pharaohs, and her statues and monuments were vandalized. Instead of personal hatred as was traditionally believed, many contemporary historians explain this to ritual and theological grounds.
Upon the death of Thutmose II, the underage Thutmose III became the pharaoh of Egypt. Hatshepsut was thought of by early modern scholars to have only served as regent alongside him. However, modern scholars agree that, while Hatshepsut initially served as regent for young Thutmose III from his accession in c. 1479 BC, she eventually assumed the position of pharaoh alongside him, by Year 7 of his reign, c. 1472 BC; becoming queen regnant, Hatshepsut shared Thutmose III’s existing regnal count, effectively back-dating her accession as pharaoh to Year 1, when she had been merely regent. Although queens Sobekneferu and possibly Nitocris may have previously assumed the role of pharaoh, Hatshepsut was the only female ruler to do so in a time of prosperity, and arguably had more powers than her female predecessors.
Hatshepsut’s Major accomplishments
Hatshepsut re-established a number of trade networks that had been disrupted during the Hyksos occupation of Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period. She oversaw the preparations and funding for a mission to the Land of Punt.
Hatshepsut’s delegation returned from Punt bearing 31 live myrrh trees and other luxuries such as frankincense. Hatshepsut would grind the charred frankincense into kohl eyeliner. This is the first recorded use of the resin.
Hatshepsut had the expedition commemorated in relief at Deir el-Bahari, which is also famous for its realistic depiction of Queen Ati of the Land of Punt.
Hatshepsut also sent raiding expeditions to Byblos and the Sinai Peninsula shortly after the Punt expedition. Very little is known about these expeditions. Although many Egyptologists have claimed that her foreign policy was mainly peaceful, it is possible that she led military campaigns against Nubia and Canaan.
Graça Machel DBE HonFBA is well known Mozambican politician and humanitarian. She was born 17th October 1945 and a widow of former President of Mozambique Samora Machel (1975–1986) and former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela (1998–2013).
Machel is an active international advocate for women’s and children’s rights and she was made an honorary British Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997 for her humanitarian work. She is the only woman in modern history to have served as First Lady of two countries, South Africa and Mozambique.
Graça Machel is one of 10 eminent people that make up the Africa Progress Panel (APP), which promotes equitable and sustainable development in Africa at the highest levels. She convenes decision-makers to impact policy and fosters coalition building as a panelist to leverage and broker information and bring about long-lasting change in Africa.
Between 1999 to 2019, she served as the University of Cape Town’s chancellor.
Graça Machel’s Early life and education
Graça Simbine was born 17 days after her father’s death, the youngest of six children, in rural Incadine, Gaza Province, Portuguese East Africa (modern-day Mozambique). She attended Methodist mission schools before gaining a scholarship to the University of Lisbon in Portugal, where she studied German and first became involved in independence issues.
In addition to her native Xitsonga language, Machel also converses in English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese.
Simbine joined the Mozambican Liberation Front (FRELIMO) and started working as a teacher when she returned to Portuguese East Africa in 1973. Simbine was chosen to serve as the country’s first Minister of Education and Culture on June 25, 1975, when Mozambique gained independence.
Over the course of her administration, the proportion of children attending elementary and secondary schools increased from roughly 40% of all pupils to over 90% for males and 75% for females.
How many husbands did Graca Machel have?
Graça Machel DBE HonFBA
Spouse(s)
Samora Machel ( m. 1975; died 1986) Nelson Mandela ( m. 1998; died 2013)
British Togoland was a part of Western Africa that was bordered on the south by the Gulf of Guinea. Ghana currently includes the western portion of what was once British Togoland. The Conference of Berlin (1884–1885) acknowledged a German protectorate over Southern Togoland.
Treaties with France (1897) and Great Britain (1904) defined Togoland’s borders. British and French troops liberated Togoland from the Germans in August 1914. The region was split into two British and French mandates by the League of Nations in 1922. The mandates were transformed into United Nations trust areas in 1946.
The area placed under British control amounted to 13,041 square miles (33,776 square kilometers). The northern part was placed under the administration of the Northern Territories of the Gold Coast (the colonial name of Ghana), and the southern section was made a district of the eastern province of the colony. The southern section held a plebiscite in May 1956 over the topic of joining Ghana when independence came. In 1957, British Togoland became part of the independent state of Ghana.
The League of Nations defined, in its treaty from July 1922, the task of the mandatory as being “responsible for the peace, order and good government of the territory, and for the promotion to the utmost of the material and moral well-being and the social progress
of its inhabitants.” The northern part of British Togoland contained ethnic groups who also lived in the protectorate. This was the reason why the mandate gave the Gold Coast government the right to administer them as a unit. In 1946, the population of the trust territory was about 400,000. The northern portion included in 1932 the districts of Kete-Krachi, Dagomba, Eastern Mamprussi, and Kumassi.
In Eastern Dagomba, cattle raising and agriculture, as in most of this area, were the principal occupations of its people, along with crafts such as weaving, ropemaking, leather tanning, and pottery making. Yet British Togoland had neither the mineral resources nor the large plantings of cocoa as had the Gold Coast. Because of the fact that the future of the region was uncertain, the British hesitated to invest in a territory under international control.
During the period 1890–1930, a decentralization of native authority took place. After 1930, the numerous small divisions of the Northern Territories and north Togoland were reunited into several large states such as Mamprussi and Dagomba. In 1933, three ordinances relating to the executive, judicial, and financial reorganization were promulgated.
The chiefs were able to use these new powers to carry out economic and social reforms. The Native Tribunal Ordinance permitted the chief commissioner to establish tribunals to define the extent of its civil and criminal jurisdiction. Moreover, the government passed in 1932 a Native Treasuries Ordinance that gave the chief commissioner the right to establish treasuries, to define the sources of revenue, to provide for specified forms of taxation, and so forth.
The revenue was applied to roads, dispensaries, sanitary conveniences, and regular salaries for chiefs and tribunal members. The economic growth of the area was steadily improving, and a slow increase of interest in education, health care, and religion was occurring. In 1946, a Northern Territory council, representative of all the chiefs, was established.
South Togoland was much smaller, at 5,845 square miles. The ordinances of the Gold Coast Colony were applied to Southern Togoland, while those for the Northern Territories were promulgated in Northern Togoland. The five districts of the mandate were managed by district commissioners.
As in the Northern Territories, from 1930 on the government aimed to amalgamate small ethnic groups. By 1939, all but 15 of the 68 divisions had amalgamated into 4 large states. After this, the local institutions were strengthened: the governor had the right to declare local authorities.
Divisional and state councils were recognized and allowed to investigate political and constitutional disputes. The governor had the power to establish tribunals in each native authority area. An ordinance of 1932 granted the divisions the right to set up stool treasuries and collect taxes. In the mandate, education was in the hands of missionaries, assisted by government funds. Economic development resulted from an increased production of cocoa.
After 1951, the constitutional changes taking place in the Gold Coast began to affect conditions in Togoland. The government had taken measures to ensure that the people of Togoland participated in every level of government under the increased representation provided by the 1951 and 1954 constitutions.
In June 1954, the British government informed the United Nations that it would not be in a position to administer the Togoland trusteeship separately after the Gold Coast became independent. At first, a majority of the members of the United Nations were opposed to the establishment of British Togoland as an independent state, but they soon recognized that this meant the rule of British Togoland as an independent African government and not a colonial annexation.
In December 1955, the General Assembly of the United Nations agreed to a British Togoland plebiscite to determine whether the population preferred an integration with the Gold Coast after independence or its own independence as a separate entity. When the plebiscite was held on May 9, 1956, the majority, aware of the imminent independence of its neighbor, voted for the integration of Togoland with the Gold Coast.
The UN General Assembly thus agreed to the reunification of British Togoland and the Gold Coast after the independence of this last territory. The last constitution before independence was published in February 1957. The date of independence was fixed for March 6, 1957. On this date, the unified Gold Coast and British Togoland became an independent state within the British Commonwealth with the name of Ghana
The 30,000 Ahaggaren Tuareg of Algeria are a small portion of a bigger population of Tuaregs who speak Berber. They are cattle-raising nomads who occupy a region that encompasses all of North Africa. This region stretches from the Western Sahara to Western Sudan’s northernmost region.
The Tuareg tribe appears to have migrated down from North Africa in a series of movements as early as the 7th century, despite the fact that its origin and early history are unknown. Tuareg tribes had established themselves by the end of the 14th century as far south as the Nigerian border.
The Tuaregs’ unified language, alphabet (which employs tifinagh characters), intricate social structure, and class system are among their most distinguishing traits.
In direct contrast to Arab custom, the Tuareg men, rather than women, wear veils. However, many men often leave their faces uncovered in family camps or while traveling.
What are lives of The Ahaggaren Tuareg of Algeria like?
The Tuaregs of Algeria primarily live in small nomadic groups. Their camps consist of five or six portable tents arranged in a tight circle. Each tent is made of 30 or 40 tanned skins that have been dyed red and sewn together. The skins are supported on a framework of wooden poles and pegged into the ground.
Each tribe is governed by a chief and an assembly of adult males. The tribes are grouped into three confederations, each with its own sheik and council of rulers. These three confederations are under the leadership of one paramount chief, called an amenokal, and a council of nobles. Succession to headship is matrilineal (passed down through the lineage of the women).
Tuareg society also has an elaborate structure. The main division is between the noble class and the various serf classes. In most Tuareg groups, there are also whole tribes of ineslemen or marabouts. These are “holy people” who, like other tribes, are led by their own chiefs. Among some of the Berbers, such tribes are considered to be different from ordinary men. They are believed to possess the powers of protection and healing, even after death.
The lowest class does both the manual and domestic labor. This class is made up of ethnically mixed peoples who live in a cooperative relationship with their masters, the Tuareg. Many were originally slaves, either taken during warfare or bought at Indonesian slave markets. Three slave groups in the lower class are the iklan, the inaden, and the harratin.
The iklan take care of herding, cooking, and other domestic chores. The inaden work as artisans and blacksmiths for the Tuaregs. The harratin are Negroid tenant farmers who work as share-croppers. Sadly, the Tuaregs have very little respect for these groups.
The Tuaregs of Algeria are primarily shepherds. Each tribe holds collective property rights on special grazing grounds. They also do a small amount of farming on this land, using irrigation and hand-held hoes. Their main crop is wheat, but they also grow some barley and grain, dates, figs, apricots, grapes, and a number of vegetables. Although they raise camels, donkeys, sheep, and goats, they only eat meat at feasts. Milk, both fresh and sour, is a staple food, and is used to make butter and cheese.
Veils worn by the Tuareg men are called tidjelmoust. The most preferred veils are dyed indigo. To show respect, the men always cover their mouths, noses, and foreheads in the presence of foreigners and their in-laws.
What are their beliefs?
Despite being wholly Sunni Muslims, the Tuaregs are thought of by other Muslims as having a moderate approach to their religion. They follow a mild type of Islam that has been blended with folk magic and superstitions. People frequently wear protective charms or amulets, and there is a strong believe in ghosts. They contain a number of Marabouts (those belonging to the “holy class”), some of whom are Islamic school administrators.
What are their needs?
Although three Christian mission agencies are targeting the Tuaregs, there are no known Tuareg Christians.
One of the major Akan ethnic groups, the Akuapem, primarily inhabits Ghana’s Eastern Region to the south. They are indigenous people that speak both matriarchal Kwa and patriarchal Volta-Comoe languages. most of them are found in Ghana’s southern Eastern Region.
History Of The Akuapem Tribe
The Akuapem were formerly Guan speakers, including the Larteh, Mamfe, Abotakyi, Mampong, Obosomase, and Tutu Guan blocks as well as the Kyerepong (Okere) Guan blocks, which comprise Abiriw, Dawu, Awukugua, Adukrom, Apirede, and Abonse-Asesieso.
The localities that speak Akan Twi include the capital, Akropong, and Amanokurom, which are home to immigrants from Akyem and Mampong, who are also from Asante Mampong in Ashanti Region. These multi-ethnic people were given the name Akuapem by Nana Ansa Sasraku I of Akwamu, a renowned warrior king.
The word “thousand groups” (Nkuu apem) in Akan Twi is the source of the name. After the people overpowered his Akwamu invasion force, he gave them these names. The term “Nkuu apem” became corrupted to become Akuapem as we currently know them.
Political Systems
Royal membership among Akan is determined through connection to the land. Anyone who traces their bloodline from a founding member of a village or town may be considered royal. Each family is responsible for maintaining political and social order within its confines. In the past, there was a hierarchy of leadership that extended beyond the family, first to the village headman, then to a territorial chief, then to the paramount chief of each division within the Asante confederacy.
The highest level of power is reserved for the Asanthene, who inherited his position along matrilineal lines. The Asantahene still plays an important role in Ghana today, symbolically linking the past with current Ghanaian politics.
Religion: Akan believe in a supreme god who takes on various names depending upon the particular region of worship. Akan mythology claims that at one time the god freely interacted with man, but that after being continually struck by the pestle of an old woman pounding fufu, he moved far up into the sky. There are no priests that serve him directly, and people believe that they may make direct contact with him.
There are also numerous gods (abosom), who receive their power from the supreme god and are most often connected to the natural world. These include ocean and river spirits and various local deities. Priests serve individual spirits and act as intermediaries between the gods and mankind. Nearly everyone participates in daily prayer, which includes the pouring of libations as an offering to both the ancestors who are buried in the land and to the spirits who are everywhere. The earth is seen as a female deity and is directly connected to fertility and fecundity.
Economy:
Early Akan economics revolved primarily around the trade of gold and enslaved peoples to Mande and Hausa traders within Africa and later to Europeans along the coast. This trade was dominated by the Asante who received firearms in return for their role as middlemen in the slave trade. These were used to increase their already dominant power.
Various luxury goods were were also received and incorporated into Asante symbols of status and political office. Local agriculture includes cocoa cultivation for export, while yams and taro serve as the main staples.
Among the Akan who live along the coast, fishing is very important. The depleted forests provide little opportunity for hunting. Extensive markets are run primarily by women who maintain considerable economic power, while men engage in fishing, hunting, and clearing land. Both sexes participate in agricultural endeavours.
Ali Bongo Ondimba’s Gabon Longstanding Dynasty Comes to an Abrupt End as Military Seizes Power
In a shocking turn of events, Ali Bongo Ondimba, the president of Gabon, who was renowned for his love of music, forests, and conservation efforts, was overthrown by military personnel.
Up until last week, the Bongo family had dominated Gabon for 56 years before the presidency was suddenly taken away. Locals reacted differently to the abrupt transition in power, while the international world expressed concern for the survival of Gabon’s environmental initiatives.
The Coup and Bewilderment of President Bongo
Following the declaration of Mr. Bongo as the winner of a disputed election, military officers seized power within hours. President Bongo appeared genuinely bewildered when his own guards came to apprehend him, expressing his confusion in a video circulated by his Western advisors. The swift overthrow, typical of recent military takeovers in various African countries, signified the end of the Bongo rule in Gabon.
The Future of Gabon’s Conservation Efforts
Foreign conservationists expressed concerns about the potential disruption of Gabon’s efforts to preserve its forests and wildlife. Gabon recently negotiated a landmark $500 million debt refinancing deal that allocated $163 million for marine protection. Experts warned that a power vacuum could result in increased poaching, illegal logging, and deforestation, jeopardizing the country’s commitment to protecting its natural resources.
Mixed Reactions Among the Citizenry
In the capital city of Libreville, Gabonese citizens had mixed feelings about the change in leadership. While some celebrated their newfound freedom from the Bongo family dynasty, others were apprehensive about military rule and questioned whether the new government would prioritize environmental protection as its predecessor had. Concerns were voiced over potential setbacks in forest preservation and the loss of income opportunities for the Gabonese people derived from their forests.
The Bongo Dynasty and Gabon’s Unique Position
The Bongo family’s reign in Gabon can be likened to an undeclared monarchy, with President Ali Bongo Ondimba inheriting power from his father, Omar Bongo. The Bongos, known for their lavish lifestyle, amassed wealth and exerted influence during the oil boom in the latter part of the 20th century. Despite allegations of corruption, Gabon stood out from other oil-rich nations for its commitment to distributing some of the wealth among its population, reflected in higher education and healthcare standards.
Ali Bongo’s Passion for Conservation
Ali Bongo Ondimba shared his father’s passion for conservation and made significant efforts to protect Gabon’s forests and wildlife. Gabon boasts 13 national parks that cover 10 percent of the country’s landmass, and Gabonese presidents, including Ali Bongo, actively participated in international climate conferences. The former president’s advocacy for forest preservation was driven in part by the potential economic benefits from carbon credits and foreign investments.
Challenges and Cracks in the Bongo System
The Bongo dynasty faced challenges and criticism as the country’s economy slumped due to falling oil prices. Social inequalities grew more pronounced, and the opulent lifestyle of the ruling family juxtaposed with the struggles faced by ordinary Gabonese citizens. Additionally, anti-poaching efforts led to conflicts between farmers and elephants encroaching on their crops. Criticism arose during the 2016 election, with allegations of voter manipulation and a lack of infrastructure development outside the capital.
According to the country’s interior ministry, a powerful Morocco earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 killed at least 632 people.
According to the US Geological Survey, the Morocco earthquake occurred in the High Atlas Mountains, 71 kilometers (44 miles) south-west of Marrakesh, at a depth of 18.5 kilometers.
On Friday, the earthquake occurred at 22:11 GMT (local time). A 4.9 aftershock occurred 19 minutes later.
The ministry reported fatalities in Marrakesh and numerous southern locales. It’s thought that many of the victims are in far-off places.
The earthquake, according to the interior ministry, claimed lives in the provinces and municipalities of al-Haouz, Marrakesh, Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichaoua, and Taroudant. At least 329 people were also believed to have suffered injuries.
Many people spent the night out in the open as the Moroccan government had warned them not to go back into their homes in case of severe aftershocks.
632 people have died in a earthquake in Morocco. This is the strongest earthquake in the country in 123 years.
Hospitals in Marrakesh have seen an influx of injured people, and the authorities have called on residents to donate blood.
There are also reports of families trapped under the rubble of their homes in the city, and damage to parts of the Medina, a Unesco World heritage Site.
Some buildings in the have collapsed, one resident told the Reuters news agency. Several clips on X show buildings crashing down, but the BBC has not identified where they were.
Dust could also be seen surrounding the minaret of the historic Kutubiyya mosque in Marrakesh, a major tourist attraction near the old city’s main square.
One man described feeling a “violent tremor” and seeing “buildings moving”.
“People were all in shock and panic. The children were crying and the parents were distraught,” Abdelhak El Amrani told the AFP agency.
He said power and phone lines were down for 10 minutes.
Marrakesh resident Fayssal Badour had been driving when the quake hit.
“I stopped and realised what a disaster it was,” he told AFP. “The screaming and crying was unbearable.”
