Miss Marple

 a summary of various actresses who played Miss Marple.

Enjoy.

ISIS, terrorism and tribal wars in Africa

 A long essay on StrategyPage.

November 1, 2025: Over 200,000 deaths are attributed to Islamic terrorist groups operating in sub-Saharan Africa in the past ten years. Separately, escalating violence in the Sahel and Somalia has caused fatalities linked to militant Islamist violence in Africa to increase by 60 percent in the last twelve years. Aggressive Islamist groups in Africa continue to be the most active agents of instability across five theaters on the continent. At least 20,000 fatalities linked to these groups over the past year sustain a record level of lethality observed since 2023 and represent a 60-percent increase from the 2020–2022 period. Battle-related fatalities have increased in every theater over the past year. All five African theaters, including Mozambique and North Africa, remain highly dynamic with militant insurgents mounting offensive operations in each, especially in the Sahel and Somalia.

when I was in AFrica, the massacres were from communist groups, and the Rwanda massacres were tribal not religious, and the massacres in Zimbabwe were partly tribal and partly poolitica.... but now it is Islamic groups. What it comes down to is that when things are bad, young men will join such groups to make utopia, and also to have fun by waving guns around and bossing people around to steal and rape.

this is not an African problem: see the Red Guard in China for example.

Trump threatening Nigeria is not going to lead to the US sending in soldiers (No Yank would let him) but economic pressure and offers to help with technology if the government does their job.

Nigerian genocide

Father Leo is a FilAm (American of Philippine parents) who became most famous for his cooking show, and now has a vlog to discuss religious issues in the news.

so Trump is threatening to intervene and so the usual suspects are ignoring what is going on or reframing the story

No it is not anti Christian, but tribal, ignoring that the Fulani tribal attacks became rabid because of Islamicist ideas (i.e. instead of merely moving their cattle onto farmer's fields to eat, which has been going on for centuries, they are killing these farmers. 

No it is not anti Christian because Muslims are being killed. But the Muslims are being killed by the radicalized Islamicist groups are not the radicalized Muslims but the normal Muslim believers who are not in favor of killing their neighbors. 

And my favorite: Hey don't condemn the killing because hey it interferes with us making peace.

from Genocide Watch:

(Makurdi, Nigeria) – In the early hours of Friday, June 13, 2025, more than 200 Christian villagers were slaughtered by heavily armed Fulani jihadists in Yelwata, a farming community in Guma County, Benue State. This mass killing is part of a disturbing wave of targeted violence that has swept across central Nigeria in recent weeks...

 

more details at link.

More atrocities in the Sudan

 via DW site (German news):

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it was, "deeply alarmed and profoundly shocked" by reports of "horrifying atrocities and immense suffering to which people from el-Fasher are being subjected."

Late Tuesday, Tedros called for the release of four doctors, a nurse and a pharmacist reportedly abducted from the hospital. The massacre took place as the RSF took control of the city of el-Fasher after a brutal 18-month siege marked by mass starvation and heavy bombardment.

The European Union on Wednesday condemned Sudan's paramilitary RSF after the group captured the strategic city of el-Fasher in North Darfur. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a statement that civilians had been targeted based on ethnicity, underscoring the "brutality" of the RSF.

,,,

Sudan: WHO 'appalled' by RSF maternity ward massacre,

.@WHO is appalled and deeply shocked by reports of the tragic killing of more than 460 patients and companions at Saudi Maternity Hospital in El Fasher, #Sudan, following recent attacks and the abduction of health workers.

Prior to this latest attack, WHO has verified 185… pic.twitter.com/CbAjtqYUAh

— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) October 29, 2025

....

to me this is personal: The communist insurgents killed a lot of my friends in the name of establishing a communist utopia in Zimbabwe. And later, the greedy soldiers did the same in Liberia, which later descended into a decade long civil war.

But no one cares.

there is an old book The Dogs of War, about how such things can happen: behind it is the search for mineral wealth. In that book, it is mainly western governments and businesses doing the dirty work of manipulating wars to put in governments that will let them get rich. Now it is more complicated as China and Russia are doing the same thing.

In the Sudan, the Wagner group were there to steal gold for Putin. That story was from 2022. But after the head of the Wagner group tried to overthrow Putin, they disbanded, but are still in the Sudan under a different name:

Bill Maher bring Nigerian debacle to the attention of the west

 The ongoing murder of Christians by Muslims in Nigeria has gotten little press in the USA.

Much of it is by Islamicists of course (including Boko Harum) and some of it is the Muslim Fulani inspired by ISIS attacking farmers, and more recently, criminals who attack to steal stuff or kidnap clergy for ransom.

but although this has been covered in the Christian press, the dirty little secret is that it has been ignored by the US MSM  

The good news: A famous comedian dared to mention it in his show, 

Yet the MSM doesn't say Bill Maher rebukes the MSM for it's lack of coverage: The headline say he "gripes" about it,

Gripes? Why not use the word lament? Gripe usually implies complaining about a petty thing that annoys you, not horror and dismay about genocide. 

But hey, he is Jewish and those he mentions are Christian and Muslim Africans.

On Friday night’s edition of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, the interview guest was Aiden Walker, content creator, internet culture researcher, and author of the Substack newsletter “How To Do Things With Memes.” The panel guests were Michael Smerconish, host of “Smerconish” on CNN and “The Michael Smerconish Program” on SiriusXM; and Rep. Nancy Mace, Republican congresswoman from South Carolina’s 1st district who also sits on the Armed Services, Veterans’ Affairs, and Oversight committees.

 

During the panel segment, Rep. Mace said the slaughter of Christians in Syria was ignored at the UN this week, and Maher interjected that the same is true for Nigeria. He diagnosed the apathy in relation to the situation in Gaza:

REP. NANCY MACE: We saw the world leaders come to New York this week, the UN summit, and we had the president of Syria, the prime minister of Syria there, and while he’s there speaking at the UN, speaking with world leaders, we gave him a visa to travel here. There were Christian villages in Syria that were being burned down.

BILL MAHER: And Nigeria.

REP. NANCY MACE: No, in Syria.

BILL MAHER: No, but both. 

REP. NANCY MACE: In Nigeria, yes.

BILL MAHER: Nigeria, I mean, the fact that this issue has not gotten on people’s radar…

REP. NANCY MACE: Right, no one’s talking about it.

BILL MAHER: It’s pretty amazing. If you don’t know what’s going on in Nigeria, your media sources suck. You are in a bubble.

And again, I’m not a Christian, but they are systematically killing the Christians in Nigeria. They’ve killed… Over 100,000 since 2009. They burned 18,000 churches. This is so much more…

These are the Islamists, Boko Haram. This is much more of a genocide attempt than what is going on in Gaza.

They are literally attempting to wipe out the Christian population of an entire country. Where are the kids protesting this?

REP. NANCY MACE: Thank you. No one will talk about it, so thank you. Absolutely. It’s Africa. No one’s talking about it. And they should be. You can’t read about it on mainstream media. It’s sad. So thank you for bringing it up.

BILL MAHER: Well, because the Jews aren’t involved. That’s why. It’s the Christians and the Muslims who cares.  

The persecution has been covered in various Christian news outlets however, and here is a dicussion on July 10 on EWTN (start at 35 minutes):

The Catholic News Agency has a summary about what is going on there published last week

According to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), at least 145 priests have been kidnapped, 11 have been murdered, and four remain missing since 2015. However, Intersociety claims the reality is much worse. According to its counts, at least 250 Catholic clergy have been attacked in addition to another 350 clergy from other denominations....

The phenomenon, according to the report, is due to a combination of attacks by jihadist groups and organized criminal gangs operating for profit. Priests have been victims of both violent ambushes and financial extortion. “Many were kidnapped for ransoms reaching tens of millions of nairas [Nigreian currency] or thousands of dollars. In other cases, the attackers sought to seize luxury vehicles belonging to the clerics to sell them to criminal networks,” Intersociety details in the report. ... Likewise, there have been systematic kidnappings of Christian children in eastern Nigeria who are sent to Islamic orphanages in the north for forced conversion to Islam, affecting Catholic schools and communities.

Intersociety report here in pdf

Hudson Institute report here which is about the Fulani Muslim herders killing Christian (and Muslim) farmers in nothern Nigeria.

Christianity today report.  

In Africa’s most populous nation, a deadly cycle of violence has unfolded for several years, with Christian clergy and laypeople as well as moderate Muslims falling victim to murder and kidnapping.

The Christian nonprofit Open Doors recently reported that in 2024 some 3,100 Christians were killed and more than 2,000 kidnapped in Nigeria.,,,, The violence is largely the work of two groups—the extremist Islamist militant Boko Haram and its splinter factions, and a range of militias or bandits linked to Fulani herders, Muslims who have waged a campaign of land grabs against Christian farmers in the fertile, and more Christian, “Middle Belt” of central Nigeria as the Fulanis’ grazing land has dried up over the past decades.

,,,

this recent video is from CBN about one attack

here is a report from SkyNews Australia

Haiti: Drones, gangs and mercentaries

It's not about Africa, but apparently the headlines say some kids were killed by police drones that were aiming at a gang leader.

The attack comes as security firm, Vectus Global, owned by former US Navy Seal Erik Prince, is due to deploy nearly 200 people to Haiti as part of a one-year deal to quell gang violence.

The private contractors are expected to reinforce an underfunded and understaffed police department working with Kenyan police leading a United Nations-backed mission struggling to fight gangs.

BBC raticle about Kenya sending police to Haiti, dated 10 2023.

and this article from a Kenyan news source 23 Sept 2025 says they are due to come home but that the US is planning a large peace keeping force.

 

US Announces Plans For Bigger Security Force in Haiti Days Before Expiry of Kenya's Mission

The United States has pledged its support for the transition of the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support Mission(MSS) in Haiti barely two weeks before its expiry on October 2.

Speaking during a high-level meeting on Haiti hosted by Kenya and the US on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Monday, the US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau confirmed that it had kicked off efforts to establish a larger force to continue the mission. According to Landau, the US and Panama had worked with Haiti to introduce a UN Security Council resolution to establish a larger gang-suppression for.ce with a broader mandate and a UN support office for Haiti. As such, the US had called on all its partners to join them in pressing for this critical resolution before the MSS mission mandate expired on October ... This new force would reportedly consist of 5,500 personnel, more than five times the size of the current MSS....All 32 members of the Organisation of American States have also signed onto a joint statement calling for the urgent passing of this resolution.”

more HERE. 

terraces of eastern Zimbabwe

years ago, I spent ten days in eastern Zimbabwe when I was recovering from an illness, and behind the mission school the hillside was terraced with rock walls. But the priests didn't know why, except to say that they were familiar with mediterranean terraces so they doubted the idea that these were ancient terraces by Mediterranean immigrants (which was a plot of one of Wilber Smith's novels). I blogged about this before, and cited the book by Bryan Fagan Elixir about the water systems of eastern Africa is found in one hstorian's book. But today I ran across there is a new book about this (but one that I can't afford on my pension) so I decided to ask Grok to summarize the theories of who built the terraces and why:

 

### Overview of the Terrace Builders of NyangaL

The "Terrace Builders of Nyanga" refers to the ancient farming communities in the Nyanga region of eastern Zimbabwe, known for their extensive stone-built agricultural terraces and homestead ruins. These structures, dating from around AD 1300 to 1800, represent a sophisticated adaptation to the challenging highland environment and have been the subject of archaeological study for over a century. The phrase is also the title of a key book by archaeologist Robert Soper (published in 2006 by Weaver Press), which synthesizes research on these ruins.

### Why Did They Build the Terraces?

The terrace builders constructed these features primarily to create viable farmland in the rugged, hilly terrain of Nyanga, where steep slopes, thin soils, and high rainfall posed significant challenges to traditional agriculture. Here's a breakdown of the key reasons, based on archaeological evidence:

- **Soil Conservation and Erosion Control**:

The Nyanga highlands experience heavy seasonal rains, which quickly erode topsoil on slopes. The stone terraces acted as retaining walls to prevent soil loss, allowing for stable, level plots for crop cultivation. This was essential for maintaining fertility in an area with rapidly depleting soils.

- **Maximizing Arable Land**: By terracing hillsides, the builders converted otherwise unusable steep land into productive fields. This expanded the available growing area, supporting a growing population over five centuries. The terraces covered thousands of kilometers across over 5,000 square kilometers, integrating crop farming with livestock herding.

- **Integrated Agricultural System**:

terraces were part of a broader system that included water furrows (ditches for irrigation from streams), pit structures for livestock (to protect animals from predators and weather), and fallowing cycles (rotating fields to restore soil nutrients). This specialization allowed for mixed farming—growing crops like grains and vegetables on terraces while raising dwarf cattle in enclosures—sustaining the community in isolation.

- **Adaptation to Environmental Challenges**: Starting on high peaks around AD 1300, settlements expanded to lowlands by AD 1800, showing how the builders exploited varied micro-environments (highlands for cooler crops, lowlands for grazing). However, the system eventually declined due to over-specialization, soil exhaustion, or external pressures like climate shifts or invasions.

These innovations highlight the ingenuity of the Nyanga people, who were likely ancestors of the modern Manyika ethnic group. Early 19th-century reports speculated wildly about the ruins (e.g., as "forts" or "Phoenician relics"), but modern archaeology, including work by the University of Zimbabwe and British Institute in Eastern Africa, confirms their agricultural purpose.### Overview of the Terrace Builders of Nyanga

The "Terrace Builders of Nyanga" refers to the ancient farming communities in the Nyanga region of eastern Zimbabwe, known for their extensive stone-built agricultural terraces and homestead ruins. These structures, dating from around AD 1300 to 1800, represent a sophisticated adaptation to the challenging highland environment and have been the subject of archaeological study for over a century. The phrase is also the title of a key book by archaeologist Robert Soper (published in 2006 by Weaver Press), which synthesizes research on these ruins.

why Did They Build the Terraces?

The terrace builders constructed these features primarily to create viable farmland in the rugged, hilly terrain of Nyanga, where steep slopes, thin soils, and high rainfall posed significant challenges to traditional agriculture. Here's a breakdown of the key reasons, based on archaeological evidence:

- **Soil Conservation and Erosion Control**:

The Nyanga highlands experience heavy seasonal rains, which quickly erode topsoil on slopes. The stone terraces acted as retaining walls to prevent soil loss, allowing for stable, level plots for crop cultivation. This was essential for maintaining fertility in an area with rapidly depleting soils.

- **Maximizing Arable Land**: By terracing hillsides, the builders converted otherwise unusable steep land into productive fields. This expanded the available growing area, supporting a growing population over five centuries. The terraces covered thousands of kilometers across over 5,000 square kilometers, integrating crop farming with livestock herding.

- **Integrated Agricultural System**: The terraces were part of a broader system that included water furrows (ditches for irrigation from streams), pit structures for livestock (to protect animals from predators and weather), and fallowing cycles (rotating fields to restore soil nutrients). This specialization allowed for mixed farming—growing crops like grains and vegetables on terraces while raising dwarf cattle in enclosures—sustaining the community in isolation.

- **Adaptation to Environmental Challenges**: Starting on high peaks around AD 1300, settlements expanded to lowlands by AD 1800, showing how the builders exploited varied micro-environments (highlands for cooler crops, lowlands for grazing). However, the system eventually declined due to over-specialization, soil exhaustion, or external pressures like climate shifts or invasions.

These innovations highlight the ingenuity of the Nyanga people, who were likely ancestors of the modern Manyika ethnic group. Early 19th-century reports speculated wildly about the ruins (e.g., as "forts" or "Phoenician relics"), but modern archaeology, including work by the University of Zimbabwe and British Institute in Eastern Africa, confirms their agricultural purpose.

For a deeper dive, Soper's book *The Terrace Builders of Nyanga* provides detailed maps, sketches, and analysis—it's a concise 88-page read focused on the "eloquent witness" left by the landscape itself. If you're planning a visit, sites like those near Mount Nyangani showcase the terraces today.

For a deeper dive, Soper's book *The Terrace Builders of Nyanga* provides detailed maps, sketches, and analysis—it's a concise 88-page read focused on the "eloquent witness" left by the landscape itself. If you're planning a visit, sites like those near Mount Nyangani showcase the terraces today.

Angola riots, Chinese evacuate

from the Uganda Monitor:

China Under Fire: Angola Riots Trigger Mass Exodus and Factory Closures

a taxi driver strike over high fuel prices has escalated into a protest against Chinese investments:

the anger is by unemployed youth and the unemployed against Chinese businesses, which were looted etc.

 Over a thousand were arrested, and many Chinnese citizens are fleeing the country. 

Over 250 thousand CHinese are estimated living there, embedded into the economy, but the gap between rich and poor has caused a simmering anger that is now erupting

BBC Report here

"The fuel price issue is just the last straw that has reignited widespread public discontent... People are fed up. Hunger is rife, and the poor are becoming miserable," a prominent local activist, Laura Macedo, told the BBC....

AlJazeerah article here.

The Conservativetreehouse blog has a long economic analysis here from a geopolitical standpoint, which is of course from a capitalistic conservative point of view.

But unlike the other articles he puts it into perspective of China's world wide trade network:

 “One-Belt / One-Road” is essentially their ‘bully plan’ to ensure their supply chain and long-term economic viability.

essentially China is replacing colonial powers who were thrown out by the people: 

and like the colonial powers, they are exploiting poor people as cheap labor in their factories etc. and stealing mineral and oil resources to get rich.

but as one Mashona co worker advised me years ago: People get mad. 

And as the African proverb reminds one: Even a small snake has a fang...