Excluded Headlines: Exxon Mobil nationalised in Chad, Cuba elections, Nambia reparations...
Stay up to date on the global news stories the US- and Eurocentric media overlooks, with journalist and author, Tamara Pearson.
This week in the downplayed and overlooked news about the Global South:
Chad nationalises oil giant Exxon Mobil assets - Chad’s government declared the nationalisation all of the US company’s assets on Saturday, including hydrocarbon and exploration permits. Last December, Exxon had tried to sell its Cameroon and Chad operations to a private British company, and refused to sell them to the Chad government. Source, source.
Very high participation rate in Cuba’s parliamentary elections - Probably because it doesn’t fit into their narrative of Cuba as a dictatorship, almost no mainstream media covered the recent elections in Cuba, bar Al Jazeera, and VOA. 75.92% of registered voters in Cuba participated in the elections on Sunday. The average turnout for parliamentary elections in OECD countries is 65%. People aged 18 to 35 represented 20% of the 470 deputy candidates. People can vote in favour of all 470 candidates, for just some of them, or for none. The list was compiled in November, and half of it is made up of representatives that people chose directly in municipal elections, while the other half comes from nominations from various sectors and organisations of civil society, such as workers, women, and farmers. The participation was down from previous years, but the boycott called by critics had little impact. The deputies serve for five years, and don’t receive a salary. The new National Assembly members will take office on April 19. Source, source, source, source, source, source.
Cholera outbreak in eastern and southern Africa is an emergency - The UN has described the outbreak as the worst in years, with 28 million people affected. The outbreak is exacerbated by poverty, conflict, and climate change. This time, the mortality rates are alarmingly high - the illness must be treated immediately to prevent death. Mozambique has launched a national vaccination drive in the aftermath of the floods caused by Cyclone Freddy. Source, source.
100,000 disappeared people in Syria - As a result of the war in Syria, the UN estimates that around 100,000 Syrians are disappeared, with their whereabouts unknown. These people may have been detained, abducted, or killed, but their family doesn’t know. The UN has called for a body to be created to locate the missing people. Source, source.
Namibians demand government engage with genocide victims over Germany’s reparations - During Germany’s colonial rule of Namibia from 1904-1908, it wiped out an estimated 80% of all Ovaherero and 50% of Nama people and seized 80% of ancestral Nama land. In 2021, Germany and Namibia signed a declaration which included €1.1 billion in reparations over 30 years, but the people who were most affected weren’t part of the negotiations. Now, they have been speaking out and demanding they be consulted and are taking their complaints to international bodies. Source, source, source.
At least 14 dead in Somalia floods - Bridges, roads and houses have also been damaged or destroyed in the flash floods. Source.