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Elmina Castle: Painful Reminder of the Slave Trade

Fortress known as “Elmina Castle” is the oldest European fortress in Africa, dating back to 1482

Elmina Castle was built by the Portuguese in 1482, in what is now Ghana.

Originally designed to protect trade routes south of the Sahara, this fort would later become the world’s main hub for the transatlantic slave trade.

In the mid-15th century, Portugal expanded its influence throughout Africa, both through trade and through the spread of Christianity by missionaries.

The colonization of the African continent in the 1470's ultimately led them to the so-called “Gold Coast”. Here, the Portuguese would establish one of the first trading posts. This post would eventually be renamed to Elmina.

The direct translation from Portuguese is “Coast of the Gold Mine” (Por: “De Costa da el Mina de Ouro”).

Elmina’s economic success, as well as the infrastructural progress, soon transformed it into a formidable fortress and a slave distribution centre.

From here, slaves were sent to distant Brazil in order to strengthen Portuguese colonies in South America.

Multiple attempts to conquer Elmina have been made in the early 1600’s by British, French and Dutch colonizers.

However, the Dutch were the only ones who managed to overcome the Portuguese resistance, and in 1637 they took control of the fort.

By 1770, the Dutch had significantly altered the castle. From improved defences, heavier armaments and overall expansion, Elmina became a world trade centre for slavers. Many of whom competed on this marketplace in order to fetch the best prices possible and make a profit.

The conditions in which the slaves survived could not be described as anything other than appalling.

Up to 200 slaves, including women and children, would be held in small cells. There were no toilets, thus the imprisoned innocent were forced to defecate within the overpopulated cells.

Women were often taken to the castle governor to be raped and abused before being returned to their cells.

The castle today is a tourist destination and a painful reminder of the tragic history of the African continent and its people. It emphasizes one of the darkest periods of human history and the struggle of individuals for basic human rights and dignity.

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Montenegro in the Crosshairs of Russian Foreign Policy

The newly formed military alliance between Kosovo, Albania and Croatia aims to deter Russian-influenced Montenegro and Serbia thus preserve the stability in the Balkans

The newly formed military alliance between Albania, Kosovo and Croatia, as is reported by various media, has in fact the sole purpose of countering Serbian hegemonistic tendencies in the region. Although partially true, this in no way reflects the full picture, or the full story if you will, of the complex relations of the Balkans.

Since time immemorial, the Balkans have acted as a bridge between the East and West. Due to their priceless geostrategic location, natural resources and volatile political landscape, great powers often tried to spread their spheres of influence over the Balkan countries.

Fast-forward to the present day, Balkan states remain largely inclined to align with the West. Specifically the European Union and NATO. With two anomalies to this pretence, namely Serbia and Montenegro, Russia aims to use the two aforementioned states to deter NATO, spread its influence and regain power over the ever so popular Balkan region.

While Serbia has long been an ally of the Russian Federation, a go-to hub for spreading Russian influence, Montenegro has relatively recently joined in on this “alliance”.

Attempted Coup

Since 2016, Montenegro has been under constant Russian threat and pressure to align itself with Serbia and Russia where the latter would gain another ally in the heart of Europe and on the Eastern flank of NATO.

The government of Montenegro announced in 2016 that it had prevented a Russian-backed coup attempt. The individuals charged with an attempted coup are allegedly members of Russia’s Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, or as is more commonly referred to as GRU.

Following these charges, additional ones were made against Moscow for allegedly supporting the pro-Russian forces with 200,000 Euros and purchase of weapons for new recruits who would take part in this operation.

In the official government announcement it was reported that the Russian-backed forces had attempted to change the electoral will of the people and prevent Montenegro’s accession to NATO.

This plan failed as Montenegro formally joined NATO in 2017.

Cyberattacks

Moscow, however, was not deterred by this failed coup attempt and continued to make attempts aimed at hindering Montenegro’s alignment with the West.

As such, cyberattacks followed on a massive scale whereas hundreds of attacks have been recorded in a single day bringing various public services to a standstill. NATO support proved critical in maintaining order in Montenegro.

Teams from Slovenia, USA, France and Great Britain were sent to Podgorica to assist the government in countering these cyber security threats and attacks.

As a result of this Russian-instigated cyber warfare, Montenegro gained invaluable experience in cyber security and thus became the region’s leader in cyberwarfare and cybersecurity.

Pro-Russian Government Officials

Even though Montenegro emerged victorious from these threats and hybrid warfare, the newly formed government threatens to destroy years of progress made in cooperation with its NATO allies.

The current government could not have been formed without the pro-Russian party (NSD / NOVA) headed by Andrija Mandić. This Serbian right-wing politician, with close ties to the Kremlin, Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) and Serbia aims to hinder Montenegro’s further ties with NATO.

Although Montenegro’s foreign policy and EU alignment remains true, NATO would do well to keep a watchful eye on this small Balkan state capable of aiding Russia and its interests in the Balkans.

Military Alliance Between Kosovo, Albania and Croatia

The newly formed defence pact, signed by Kosovo, Albania and Croatia, caused a dramatic response from Serbia’s President, Aleksandar Vučić, who called out the aforementioned states for starting an “arms race”.

According to Vučić, this alliance is a direct threat to Serbia and Serbia’s interests in the Balkans.

“It is a difficult situation for us but we have understood their message. And we will protect our country, deter them, and always successfully defend it from any potential aggressor, even this powerful one”.

However, the alliance has Montenegro in its focus as well. As mentioned earlier, Montenegro’s NATO ties could well be in jeopardy as the pro-Russian government officials gain more political power. The current president of the Parliament of Montenegro, Andrija Mandić, has ties with the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) and the Serbian state who are both allies of the Kremlin.

And while Russian aims to expand its influence over the Balkans gain more momentum, the three states have formed a pact in order to deter them.

The declaration signed by Kosovo, Albania and Croatia, which calls on other Balkan countries to join, also aims to form joint responses to security threats in the Balkan region, knowledge exchange, collaboration between military industries, counter hybrid threats and finally, support the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of Kosovo and Albania.

Kosovo, with whom Serbia has unresolved disputes with, is especially inclined to be a part of this alliance.

How the treaty will be implemented remains to be seen.

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The European Struggle: Revealing the Cracks in the Continent’s Power

After the debacle at the Trump-Zelensky meeting, Europe continues to bang its head against the wall

The meeting between the US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was, to put it mildly, disastrous. A few days later, reactions are pouring in, both from the US and from Europe, which has a more critical attitude towards the US and Donald Trump.

The current narrative, or generally accepted paradigm, as you like, is that Donald Trump wants to de facto colonize Ukraine and gain access to rare metals and minerals that Ukraine possesses. This is true to a certain extent.

Furthermore, as some European officials state, Donald Trump is turning to an alliance with Putin. If this prediction comes true, then it would be the biggest geopolitical upheaval since World War II.

However, how much of this is true?

Taking into account the current US policy, and the demands of Ukraine and Europe when it comes to the war in Ukraine, one can also make the argument that Europe is living in a geopolitical delusion and does not understand the signals that the US is sending them as the British Guardian described.

Thus, two dominant ideas are represented in Europe. On one side, we have optimists who see an opportunity for the awakening of the European continent. The representative of this “movement” would be the French President, Emmanuel Macron, who has long warned that the EU cannot rely solely on the US for security. Both economic and military.

On the other hand, however, we have pessimists. Pessimists believe that the US-Russian alliance is a done deal. As such, they unconditionally support Zelensky, and seek to oppose Trump. In this way, they only affirm the views of individuals within the White House that dialogue with Russia, as well as a potential alliance, is the right step forward.

This in turn means that they send back a signal to Trump that acts as confirmation of his statement that “the EU is designed to exploit the US”.

In truth, the messages that Europe receives from the US administration are not always the clearest. Or, they were not until the meeting between Zelensky and Trump.

At the aforementioned meeting, the US President gave his country’s clear position on the issue of Ukraine. The message that could not be clearer is: Either we will agree on peace as soon as possible, where both of us benefit, or we will withdraw completely.

Or, in Trump’s words: “Either you agree, or we are leaving.”

Trump then made it clear that they will not fulfill the security guarantees that Ukraine is seeking. One of such guarantees would be membership in the NATO alliance. Membership is out of the question for now.

What the vast majority of Europeans do not understand, or do not want to accept, is that the US has a sovereign right to this policy. A policy of protecting its own interests. The US is not essentially obligated to protect Europe’s interests if the US administration deems it as such.

What Europe can do is work with Trump, especially on the issue of Ukraine, and in order to protect Europe, and ultimately, preserve the NATO alliance.

Europe, however, is doing the opposite.

For the sake of context, Zelensky openly opposed Trump at the meeting, and asked for what he had already been told he would not get. Without going into the issues of this verbal conflict, as well as the motives for J. D. Vance’s antagonism of Zelensky, it can be argued that Ukraine suffered a diplomatic defeat at this meeting, and almost lost its greatest ally in this war. Fast forward a few days, Zelensky apologized and thus a deal was brokered.

After the meeting however, Europe confirmed Zelensky’s position. By doing so, they openly opposed Trump and the uS, thus sending a signal that their alliance may not be the best option as Trump sees it. The worst thing, however, is that in their attempt to support Ukraine and find a solution to this conflict, they are providing security guarantees, on the condition that the US be included.

The Prime Minister of Great Britain, Keir Starmer, stated after a meeting of EU leaders that a European “coalition of the willing” would be prepared to station military force in Ukraine to guarantee peace. The British will put “boots on the ground and planes in the air”. However, there is a condition: “this effort must have strong US support”, Starmer stated.

Absolutely contradictory rhetoric and an incomprehensible attempt to provide security guarantees when it is clear that the US does not want to participate in it.

Perhaps what is most surprising in all of this is that a worrying majority sees Trump as the culprit. In some details, certainly. Trump is an opportunist and a businessman. But it is worth remembering that his predecessor, Joe Biden, did not give his consent to send troops to Ukraine, nor the security guarantees that Ukraine is asking for at this time.

Furthermore, an argument can be made that no NATO member has sent its soldiers to Ukraine because that would mean a direct confrontation with Russia. As such, the European attempt to support Ukraine, and to force the US to guarantee the security of Ukraine and thus of Europe, can only have one outcome. A permanent break of relations with Trump and the US that they have gotten used to over the last few decades.

Instead of focusing on changing Trump’s policy, they would have a much better chance of some acceptable peace if they started relying on themselves, and guaranteeing the security of Europe themselves. This is being advocated by Macron and Merz, but no one has listened until now.

In the words of Donald Tusk, 500 million Europeans are begging 300 million Americans for protection against 140 million Russians.

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Atefeh Sahaaleh Rajabi

The story of defiance and courage of one little girl

Born in 1987 in Iran, in the city of Neka, Atefeh Sahaaleh can be described as unlucky from the very beginning. She lost her mother when she was only 5 years old, while her father barely made ends meet.

The story of this little girl gained worldwide attention after the Islamic regime of Iran sentenced Sahaaleh to death by hanging in 2004 when she was only 16 years old.

In order to understand the brutality of the regime, we have to go back to the year 2000, when Sahaaleh was first arrested by the so-called “morality police”. Sahaaleh was arrested on suspicion of committing a sin against chastity, and was sentenced to 100 lashes and a prison sentence.

During her sentence, Sahaaleh was repeatedly tortured and raped by the same moral police. On one occasion, Sahaaleh confessed to her grandmother that she was unable to walk upright, but on all fours because of the pain. She was 13 years old at the time.

What the Iranian regime, however, very consciously keeps quiet is the fact that Sahaaleh never committed any sin or crime, not even against Islam or Sharia Law. From the age of 13, a former member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Ali Darabi, a taxi driver at the time, raped Sahaaleh.

Sahaaleh publicly opposed this, called out Darabi, and was eventually convicted for speaking out against her rapist.

The judge given jurisdiction over the case, Haji Rezai, was well aware of all this. Nevertheless, he decided to proceed with the trial, and eventually sentenced Sahaaleh to death by hanging.

Sahaaleh, who realized she was losing the case, decided in a last act of courage and defiance to take off her hijab and shoes and threw them at the judge. This is seen in Iran as the greatest act of defiance and disrespect.

This girl, sentenced to death, opposed the entire Iranian regime and its corrupt individuals, publicly called out Darabi and shouted that she was not guilty; “Darabi should be sentenced”.

Prior to the hanging, her lawyer tried to appeal to the Supreme Court of Iran to overturn Haji Rezai’s decisions; the Supreme Court rejected this appeal.

According to the British BBC, Iran tried to cover up the case to a certain extent by falsifying information. Thus, they announced that Sahaaleh was 22 years old instead of 16.

In the 2020’s, a similar case was recorded when Mahsa Amini was killed by the same morality police. Her crime? She did not wear a hijab properly. Thus she was detained and killed by this police. A mass protest followed throughout Iran where 1,500 demonstrators were killed.

Truly, the regime is upholding all the values and purity of Islam.

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Mobilizing ethnic divisions and nationalistic tendencies for ever greater hold on power

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Elon Musk: Millionaire Racketeer?

While half the planet celebrates him, the other half believes that the world would be a much better place without Musk

Although he gained in popularity long before Donald Trump’s victory in the most recent US elections, only now can we see Elon Musk’s real appetite, as well as his desire to rule the world as some claim.

As Moira Donegan from the British Guardian writes, Elon Musk is most deserving of Trump’s victory in the last elections. From monetary donations that are close to $ 250 million, to constant advertising of Trump’s campaign on his X network.

However, as Donegan argues, no matter how worrying Trump is, Musk is the one who “runs politics from the shadows” and whom the world should fear.

It is no secret that Musk and Trump are working together in certain segments of government. Thus, both Trump and Musk agree that a program should be introduced that will ease the federal budget by $ 2 trillion. The program that has already begun should be noted.

Thus, we can see the de facto abolition of USAID, as well as direct US aid to countries around the world, the suspension of funding for international organizations and their withdrawal from them. All this creates a so-called power vacuum. It leaves a gap that US rivals can easily fill. Here, of course, we are referring to China.

And since Musk is known to be, or at least tries to play one, a popular culture clown, he named his project Doge — the Department of Government Efficiency project. Doge is a meme used all over the internet for jokes and satire. As such it uses the image of a Shiba-Inu dog breed.

Thus, Musk’s Doge project has moved forward in full swing. To the point that Musk has his own office in the White House West Wing even though he is not a member of the Cabinet, nor has he received any (not that he needs) Senate confirmation to carry out the task he has given himself. A task that, it should be noted, is illegal.

CNN’s investigation states that Musk’s cabinet employs several programmers, children aged 19–25, who comb federal agencies and access classified data for Musk’s needs. This data includes citizens’ medical records, salaries, bank accounts, as well as the debts of the American people.

What is perhaps most worrying is that Musk has de facto control over the US Treasury. More precisely, control over the spending of the US budget. What was once a function of Congress has now become Musk’s private racketeering firm.

The US people did not elect Musk, nor did they want him in the position of Fuhrer of the USA. However, Congress has still not issued an order for Musk to cease his activities. Some even wonder if this is possible at this point, given how much power he has acquired.

This raises a very good question about whether the US Constitution is still applicable? A question that becomes very logical given that one person, hungry for power, can buy a candidate to “push” his personal interests using the most powerful country in the world.

Or, to take it a step further, once the order is given, will Musk obey it?

What remains unclear is the relationship between Trump and Musk. All attempts by Trump’s team to remove Musk from the White House have so far been unsuccessful. And while his team is struggling in this task, Trump himself seems indifferent to this commotion. The question arises, has Musk played a racket on the US and its citizens by buying off powerful people?

Trends that have dominated the US in recent years suggest that this country is slowly moving away from liberal democracy and turning into a kind of freakshow where no one is accountable and the rich racketeer the common people.