April 19, 2012

Tuareg determined to hold onto homeland

(Source: youtube.com)

7:14am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZzMJAxJwBU-L
April 18, 2012
"We buy weapons from Western countries to defend borders they have drawn up for us. Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?"

— Moez Ali (via cosmicyoruba)

4:07pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZzMJAxJtq6n5
(Notes: 218)
  
April 18, 2012

kneelingelephant:

amaZulu. The Zulu tribe. The real only legit Zulu nation. The people of the Heavens (That’s what Zulu means).

#my ancestors

7:46am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZzMJAxJsr1P5
(Notes: 5)
  
April 17, 2012
whatthesayit: Ethekwini zulu patterned bins.

whatthesayit:

Ethekwini zulu patterned bins.

4:07pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZzMJAxJqS6RC
(Notes: 3)
  
April 17, 2012
gowiththesoul: south africa - zulu reed dance ceremony by Retlaw Snellac on Flickr.

gowiththesoul:

south africa - zulu reed dance ceremony by Retlaw Snellac on Flickr.

7:52am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZzMJAxJpTq58
(Notes: 6)
  
April 16, 2012
fralcon: The people of Azawad have formally declared their independence. The statement from the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (Mouvement National De Liberation de l’Azawad - MNLA) refers to the “complete liberation of the territory of Azawad” achieved in the remarkable final uprising which began in January this year.  It recalls that in 1960 Azawad was attached to the state of Mali, created by France - the former colonial power - without the consent of its people. And it mentions the massacres, extortion, humiliation, despoilment and genocide carried out against Azawad in 1963, 1990, 2006, 2010 and 2012. It condemns the “inhuman behaviour” of Mali in using various droughts (1967, 1973, 1984, 2010….) to try and wipe out the people of Azaward at the same time as it had asked for and received generous humanitarian aid from overseas. The statement says that the accumulation of more than 50 years of bad governance, corruption and political-financial-military collusion had put the existnce of the Azawad people at risk and endangered the stability of the sub-region and international peace.Announcing the permanence of the borders of the liberated territory and Azawad’s total commitment to the United Nations charter, the statement calls on the international community to recognise the new independent state of Azawad with minimum delay.Azawad consists of the regions of Timbuktu, Kidal, Gao, as well as a part of Mopti region and borders Mali and Burkina Faso to the south,Mauritania to the west and northwest, Algeria to the north, and Nigerto the east and southeast. It straddles a portion of the Sahara and the Sahelian zone.Azawad is said to be an Arabic corruption of the Berber word “Azawagh”, a dry river basin that covers western Niger, northeastern Mali, and southern Algeria. The name translates to “land of transhumance”. 

fralcon:

The people of Azawad have formally declared their independence.


The statement from the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (Mouvement National De Liberation de l’Azawad - MNLA) refers to the “complete liberation of the territory of Azawad” achieved in the remarkable final uprising which began in January this year. 

It recalls that in 1960 Azawad was attached to the state of Mali, created by France - the former colonial power - without the consent of its people.
And it mentions the massacres, extortion, humiliation, despoilment and genocide carried out against Azawad in 1963, 1990, 2006, 2010 and 2012.
It condemns the “inhuman behaviour” of Mali in using various droughts (1967, 1973, 1984, 2010….) to try and wipe out the people of Azaward at the same time as it had asked for and received generous humanitarian aid from overseas.

The statement says that the accumulation of more than 50 years of bad governance, corruption and political-financial-military collusion had put the existnce of the Azawad people at risk and endangered the stability of the sub-region and international peace.

Announcing the permanence of the borders of the liberated territory and Azawad’s total commitment to the United Nations charter, the statement calls on the international community to recognise the new independent state of Azawad with minimum delay.

Azawad consists of the regions of Timbuktu, Kidal, Gao, as well as a part of Mopti region and borders Mali and Burkina Faso to the south,Mauritania to the west and northwest, Algeria to the north, and Nigerto the east and southeast. It straddles a portion of the Sahara and the Sahelian zone.

Azawad is said to be an Arabic corruption of the Berber word “Azawagh”, a dry river basin that covers western Niger, northeastern Mali, and southern Algeria. The name translates to “land of transhumance”. 

4:08pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZzMJAxJn2DJf
(Notes: 32)
  
April 16, 2012

sensationnalisme:

Tuareg journalist, activist, writer and comedian Moussa Ag Assarid speaks with Berbère TV, April 10.

Here’s a brief summary of the current situation in Azawad. Western medias don’t even bother to go to the source to get their infos, instead, they continue to label Tuareg as “rebels” “Islamists”.

He addresses many points like: the security, the Islamist talk, the ECOWAS, the African Union, the role of France and the International Community:

  • They are working on the security of the territory and when they engage in fighting, they make sure the civilians are protected
  • Azawad is full of different people: AQMI, that was installed by the Malian government in Northern Mali, Ansar Dine the Islamic group
  • Once they win against the Malian army, they will fight terrorists and troublemakers. To fight Al Qaeda, they will need support from neighboring countries because Al Qaeda is a threat to these countries as well
  • The MNLA asked Algeria to retire its nationals since January 17, the country was warned way before
  • To the ECOWAS: they are ready to work with you for peace. The only thing they refuse to discuss is the independence of their territory. The ECOWAS shouldn’t send an army in the land of their ancestors, if the ECOWAS does, other Tuareg, other Amazigh and those who support the Tuareg in general will react to this injustice and racism
  • There’s Racism in the coverages because the ECOWAS and the International community continue to call them Tuareg “Rebels” even though the MNLA is made of: Mauritanians, Shongais, Peuls, Bozos. The MNLA is not just Tuareg and the MNLA’s aims is to make all of these people coexist in peace
  • Tuareg in Niger are not involved for the moment because it’s only in Mali that they really face discrimination. (As I said earlier, Nigérien Tuareg are - for the most part - involved in many aspects)
  • To the ECOWAS, the African Union and the International Community: the common enemy is AQMI, the terrorists. The MNLA is ready to fight AQMI with you
  • Discussions are open but they will not discuss the independence of Azawad because it’s their territory and the land of their ancestors
  • They don’t understand why the International Community blame them for liberating their territory and asking for the right to live in peace and freedom in the land of their ancestors
  • They are in contact with all the neighboring countries and consider all of them brothers
  • To France: you are responsible for everything that happened to them. “When independence was declared, we asked you to let us live alone, without Mali and you refused. Since 1960, we (Tuareg) did everything to be at peace with Mali, unfortunately France supported when Mali was discriminating against us. Accept us the way we are rather than the way you would like us to be.”
  • Islamism and Western medias: the medias only focus on terrorists, Al Qaeda, Islamism and tend to forget the people who fight: the Tuareg
  • Journalists are not credulous since no one really goes there as an observant. The day they will actually bother to go there and report, they will see the truth.

Source: Toumastpress

If you reblog, feel free to correct me if needed lol I’m tired.

8:03am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZzMJAxJm2mf7
(Notes: 18)
  
March 13, 2012
Samori Ture Samory Touré (also known as Samore toure or Almamy Samore Lafiya Toure, c. 1830 - 1900) was the founder of the Wassoulou Empire, an Islamic state that resisted French rule in West Africa from 1882 until his capture in 1898. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samori

Samori Ture

Samory Touré (also known as Samore toure or Almamy Samore Lafiya Toure, c. 1830 - 1900) was the founder of the Wassoulou Empire, an Islamic state that resisted French rule in West Africa from 1882 until his capture in 1898.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samori

4:05pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZzMJAxHxGEok
(Notes: 11)
  
Filed under: african history colonialism samori ture african resistance 
March 13, 2012
African mounted soldier http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:African_mounted_soldier,_c.1820.jpg

African mounted soldier

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:African_mounted_soldier,_c.1820.jpg

8:00am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZzMJAxHwMZzf
(Notes: 1)
  
Filed under: africa african soldier african cavalry 
March 4, 2012
"They cripple the bird’s wing, and then condemn it for not flying as fast as they."

—

Malcolm X (via warriorsrise

)

(via therealchet)

4:08pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZzMJAxHTU3D8
(Notes: 603)