Philadelphia, PA – On Tuesday, February 18, dozens of Philly activists gathered outside city hall to rally against Rwanda’s escalation of the war against the Democratic Republic of Congo. The evening rally, organized by Free Congo Philly, included the support of groups like Drexel Palestine Coalition, Black Alliance for Peace, All-African People’s Revolutionary Party, the Philadelphia Alliance Against Imperialism, and others.

The mineral-rich Congo has been subject to U.S. and British-funded aggression and plunder at the hands of the Rwandan government, under the regime of current President Paul Kagame. Today, eastern Congo, a site of the country’s reserve of natural wealth in rare minerals such as gold, coltan and copper is still embroiled in violence from the aftermath of the Second Congo War (1998-2004), particularly at the hands of the Rwanda-backed M23 militia, who have led the most recent incursion into Congo. Starting with the capture of the key economic trading city of Mavisi on January 21, M23 has continued to take over Congo’s eastern region, capturing Goma, Bukavu, and more, leaving thousands of dead and displaced Congolese in their wake.

Uniting all the organizations were the demands for Rwanda to leave Congo, and an end to all military aid to Rwanda.

Chants of “Free, free Congo” and “Vive le Congo, vive Lumumba!” attracted the broad attention of those passing by as the crowd marched a circuit around city hall.

Musa Bey, representing the Philadelphia Alliance Against Imperialism, delivered a fiery speech, calling out the imperialist interests at the heart of the conflict, stating, “This is not just war, it is neocolonialism in its most brutal form. Rwanda has acted as a puppet of global powers that seek to keep Congo weak, divided, and bleeding. The same nations that preach democracy and human rights stand by while Rwanda commits crimes against humanity. The same corporations that profit from Congolese minerals turn a blind eye to the bodies buried beneath the mines.”

As of February 19, M23 forces continue to push deeper into Congolese territory, threatening to take Uvira, another city of strategic importance.

#PhiladelphiaPA #PA #International #Congo

St. Paul, MN – On February 8, in honor of Black History Month, the Minnesota Anti-War Committee (AWC) presented an educational panel titled “Black Against Empire: Perspectives On Liberation In Haiti, Congo, Sudan, and the U.S.A.”

The panel was held at Macalester College in Saint Paul. Experts, activists and community leaders spoke about the timelines, struggles and victories of African people throughout history against imperialist oppression.

The panelists included Frank Chapman, head of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR); Nick Tolliver, member of the AWC; Mohammed Farah, member of Healthcare Workers For Palestine, along with a written statement submitted by Ruben Joanem of the Haiti Justice Committee. Facilitating the event were Liz Bolsoni from the AWC and Trahern Crews from Black Lives Matter Minnesota.

“The bottom line is, we have to fight our way out of this. We can’t analyze our way out of it. We can’t pray our way out of it. We’ve got to fight our way out of it,” Chapman said. “We’re building a mass movement, and we’ve got to build even greater.” Chapman is the Executive Director of NAARPR, field organizer of its Chicago chapter, the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, and sits on the Central Committee of Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

“The exploitation of the Congo is the beating heart of the global capitalist system and our collective liberation from imperialism and capitalism is bound together with the liberation of the Congo,” said Tolliver, who provided a history of liberation struggles in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Tolliver is an anti-war activist and self-proclaimed “Black history nerd” who is passionate about Congo solidarity and African liberation.

Farah was born and raised in Khartoum, Sudan, and works as a hospital pharmacist in Minnesota while pursuing a graduate degree in public health. Farah expanded on the cultural foundation of Sudan found in art and poetry. He said, “Poets are the embodiment of the soul of a nation. It creates the spirit of Sudanese nationalism.”

As presentations and speeches concluded, a dialogue was opened between the panelists and the audience to further discuss issues that Black people have historically faced and how they tie in with modern struggles connected with capitalism and imperialism.

The final question asked was about the future of community organizing around Black liberation, to which Chapman closed with the statement, “Well, the future is always now. And the future belongs to those who are willing to fight for it.”

#StPaulMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican #BlackHistoryMonth #International #Africa #Sudan #Congo #StudentMovement #NAARPR #MNAWC #BLM

Grand Rapids, MI – Hundreds marched to remember Patrick Lyoya, a 26-year-old African man murdered by Grand Rapids police in Michigan. Lyoya’s family led a march, April 9, through the Black neighborhood of Boston Square to a vigil for their first-born son.

After shooting Lyoya on April 4, the police immediately created their own story for broadcast to local news stations. That story fell apart within hours. The police claim there was a struggle, but Lyoya’s father, Peter Lyoya, said through an interpreter that there was no struggle in the video he was shown. Lyoya said the video shows his son being murdered “execution style.”

“My son was killed like an animal. The way that the police assassinated my son, he was already laying on the floor, and he had his hands behind his back.” Lyoya continued: “I knew that to come to America, it was going to be safe, and there is no safety here. I thought I would give them a good life. Now he is gone, I have lost him.”

The Lyoya family immigrated from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2014 to escape political violence.

In a heartbreaking moment, Patrick Lyoya’s family stopped the march at the scene of his murder to reenact the killing, to show the world what the police still refuse to show. Two young men came forward from the crowd, one representing Patrick, lying in the street on his stomach, hands behind his back. The other portrayed the killer cop, with a hand on Patrick's back holding him down, the other hand miming a gun pointing at the back of Patrick's head, while his family sang through sobs in his memory. The crowd was in tears, but then started chanting with raised fists.

Activists filled the neighborhood streets with chants of “Release the video!” and “Name the killer cop!” Meanwhile the Grand Rapids Police Department has dragged its feet on releasing the police car’s dashcam video of the killing. Police Chief Eric Winstrom says he will do so on Friday – the slowest news cycle day of the week.

Lyoya’s family want justice. They want the video showing the police assassination released on Monday, April 11, and they want the cop who shot him named, and prosecuted for his crime.

Black liberation organization Voices of the Revolution helped the family organize the march and vigil, with County Commissioner Robert Womack lending his support.

#GrandRapidsMI #PoliceBrutality #killerCops #Congo #VoicesOfTheRevolution

While we do not know what motivated those who shot President Kabila, we do know who will rejoice at his death – the multinational corporations who want to loot the resources of Congo; Washington D.C. politicians who cursed his courage and commitment; the CIA; and a handful of African rulers who have sold their souls to those who want to re-colonized Africa.

President Kabila was a thoughtful and complex man, whose contributions cannot be erased or obscured. Laurent Kabila led the fight that ended the rule of Mobutu Sese Seko – a mass murderer who looted the country's resources while faithfully serving Wall Street. He refused to bow down to those who wanted to carve up Congo.

In the period ahead, we hope that the democratic popular movement in Congo wins still greater victories. We are opposed to all who support and apologize for aggression against the Democratic Republic of Congo. We are confident that new heroes will step forward to continue the work of Laurent Kabila.

#Editorial #Congo #Remembrances #LaurentKabila #AfricanLiberation