ah, i'm after advancing. we're going on the ground on the day. russia invades ukraine, according to anonymous. u. s. intelligence briefings amplified by major nation media coming up in the show. while nature nation media focuses on war with russia in europe, africa, facebook, coups and corona virus. however, other signs of hope that alleged us interference in the horn of africa may have failed to catalyze instability, especially in the g, a strategic babel, mandab, straits, through which a reputed 10 percent of all well trade flows. and what about the 1st few s u. k. french armed bombing of a civilian ministry in yemen. this week that nature, nation media is arguably ignored. we speak to oxfam internationals global programs, director of what the un cools, the world's worst humanitarian crisis. dollars or more coming up in today's going

underground, but fast as washington's obsession. about a russian invasion of ukraine seen it take its eye off. the bull from its interventions in africa as joe biden deploys thousands of soldiers to europe. 4 years ago to day ethiopia declared a state of emergency. yet amidst dire predictions of war, in the e. u, ethiopian politicians of just voted and this state of emergency. so what's happened in the critically geo strategic horn of africa known in i, m f, supporting countries for the ly, they'd charity concert and famine. joining me now from lynchburg, virginia is thomas mountain, the renowned and most widely distributed independent journalist in the whole of africa. thomas, thank so much for coming on going underground. finally, we, we finally got you all be in, in virginia, the suspicious state of virginia. some might say the u. n. as that congratulated the era trained government in the past few days, on the 32nd anniversary of operation fen kill liberation of miss sour. now,

many people around the world watching this don't perhaps understand the crucial importance of the region you've lived in for so long. what, why is it relevant to the current to gray conflict with sure, yeah, joe biden, state department often says is a, is a, is a conflict rooted in, in barbarism, virtual barbarism by a few of urinary tract. how is it relevant to that? well, no or no, that is one of the most strategically critical places in the world because the 2 largest trading partners in the world are europe and asia. and most of their trade passes through the red sea, which is got to 2 point one in egypt where the suez canal, which is controlled by basically by the c i o pays the salaries of egypt and military to the, to the $1500000000.00 a year for his company would dispute that there? well, the other strategically critical to point is that bob on monday, the entrance between the red sea and the indian ocean. and this is what's up for

grabs because who controls the bottom. and it basically controls the 2 largest trading partners in the world. europe in the now the united states is little, are dominant economically, but they remain dominant militarily. and so, you know, historically, ethiopia has been the policeman on the beat for the u. s. a. control balm, and now ethiopia has made a dramatic turn since this coup d'etat to see i supported by the to grab people's liberation front, left for sure. and they tried to regain power any fuel at the end of 2020. so this, today, tom was basically a united states trying to reassert their military control over a strategically critical part of the world, the horn of africa. so for, you know, whether you are, i understand it, that your list is understand it to see i fully i'm is aware of just how critical

horn of africa is. and that's why if you didn't end up and firing line of the united states now, since they have moved decisively out of the u. s. sheer influence and become close to reach out, which is what's very alarming. i mean, i've been announced it was going to nationalize all the land and this isn't the 1st time has been announced that he's fairly, very serious about similar to what to reach it nationalized. so am whoa, that's a 1st step towards socialism. so the americans are very upset about all this and they wanna our, our compliant regime in power in avi archman is no longer there now. well, as i said, the egyptians would say no, they're in charge of the suez canal. i mean they, they full full for that one with the, with the british. and as for a u. s. support for the t b, l f. sure, the usa to bomb and say people in to grey, continue to suffer human rights violations, abuse and atrocities urgently needed humanitarian relief is being blocked by the

european they're trained military's. but i mean, if you're asked to congressman a congresswoman in washington dc and where there's no money or weapons where the, what proof do you have that their money and weapons going to this organization, the t p l f, which we had up until recently was on the outskirts of the capital view, a grad, isabella, ready to over through it's government for a freedom. well, i like to say to people that don't believe anything you read or hear in the mainstream media on the horn of africa, it's all complete tribe or cations. as stories that have been planted on the impression that lose by the cia, you know, the national security establishment, the united states. so all of these propaganda, they put out there, i mean, the united states didn't have to give the t p off any weapons because there were stop to the gills with weapons. they've got all these caches of weapons all over the country. they had over a 100 heavy,

medium range. our crew of missiles that were aimed at to reach out, which were one of the 1st things that got knocked out in this fighting, started back in the end of november in 2020. so they don't have to give them weapons g p, a stolen billions and billions of dollars, which they stash outside. almost assuredly in the city of london backs because we haven't been able to find any of it in switzerland. so they don't need any money. they don't need any but to, well, you know, i mean when i was, he asked to see i, they once responded to us about allegations made on this program. i doubt they'll respond to your allegations. i mean, are you saying that's a i m f world bank money destined for the one of africa disappeared to the city of london. oh, not only i mention your bank, billions and billions. u. s. a. i d, the will to program all these european aid. it's been just massively siphoned off. i mean obviously has been trying to get some reckoning from the city of london banks for since he came back to park since you came to power in 2018 and they were

still enrolling him. so as we would deny that i am at obviously the nobel prize winning leader ave ethiopia. and the i met with bank usa aid, and she mentioned usa them and they denial this guy who runs usaid now and do you see the grave danger ahead because of the bite and administration as regards the one of africa? well, the u. s. she id was a one point headed by gal smith, who was a person that she, i agent who recruited nelson, ari to the c. i a way back in 1980 he was the head of there. he was a for congress school for the t p. i left in the field on a fight in the war, and 3 years later he was headed a t p ela, how powerful of the forces against the kind of arguments you're making. and i have to, i was, you should remind us, your knowledge does not come from being in virginia. you're there for personal reasons. it may be one way of, of the, our audience understanding your allegations is the fact that you were in eritrea.

when babs, international headlines of eritrea were coming out and what you saw on the ground was very different to what you saw in the media. when my background, the horn of africa goes back about 40 years, and i'm in the united states, i've actually taught african history of the graduate level. so, you know, i live in a researcher from 2006 to 2021. you know that i'm a c, the national on its website saying you are basically an apologist for a try and presumably the o b another they've made peace. i don't know whether you think the nato countries are happy about them being at peace. what about you being an apologist for the or a train regime is that goal? it? well, that was originally the amnesty articles, originally an anonymous article and they would not respond to anything. i say, i guess it's kind of a mark of honor to be cited by amnesty because they've got so much to hide about their own corrupt practices, horner africa, and allies. they put off for many years,

especially about to reach you. some of their, they had a bunch of their cadre got busted in osmotic china infiltrate the country and stir up regime change way back many years ago. so obviously he's got a very sorted record in, in general, but especially when it comes to the horn of africa, especially when it comes to recheck. and now when it comes to the, the opium, they didn't expose their true colors. and i think of me being attacked by them, a sort of a mark of honor, really because a deny that they come on this show. i mean, you got to hear it's a human rights watch. every trans government is extraordinarily repressed and subjecting its population to widespread, forced labor and conscription imposing restrictions of freedom of expression, opinion, and faith. they have no legislature in their interest. there are no independent civil society organizations. there are no media outlets in eritrea. what is this focus on eritrea and why is it being cool, the de facto and it's pejorative? north career of africa, what is there a trade doing that is so i mean it's irritating those in power in nature countries,

but also clearly i'm annoying and angering human rights groups west and human rights groups. well, you know, i wrote an article i titled to recheck or cuba of africa. mean cuba is the only country in latin america came to power by the i'm still research the only country in africa. they came to part of the armstrong. so, you know, just like she has been targeted by the human rights watch and all these people and the cia, the interest base, the same sort of hostility, because for one thing richer doesn't know the i m f and the world bank, any money they refused to take these predatory loans that the only africa that hasn't taken these predatory loans in the world bank. and i'm so that right off to you off the fact that, hey, rita is unusual in africa. they're going to stand on their own 2 feet and they're not going to sell or sold the short term money offered them by these i called the

western banks, thursday's predatory financial institutions. and you know, when you go to a risha, they say it's a police they, you can only find a policeman on the street out there. i mean, the people are happy there. i mean, life is hard. i'm not saying everything's fine because they've had the underground sanctions for 9 years. it is an official sanction, still punishing the country now. you know, they're trying to make it reach, you kneel down and to reach you as motto is we never nailed down. and now i'll be off in the east, the open people are starting 6 will never deal down. and this is what's got all these organizations up in arms because, whoa, you got an independent voice in africa. a lot of people reaches a small country, easy to ignore, but ethiopia is one of the 3 largest countries in africa. and if you'll be a, follows the reach in footsteps of independence, nationalizing the land getting away from these predatory loan, starting to work more with china. this is going to be a role model for the rest of africa. and the reality is, for,

especially for the europeans, because united states doesn't have that much economic influence in africa. but the, you, the standard of living in the you is the, of the people is dependent on the super exploitation of africa. you could not maintain these people's high standard living education and health care. all these other things, if they couldn't continue to rip off africa because europe can no longer super exploit south south america, or asia, africa is the only place left where they can plunder to their hearts content. and ethiopia, standing up and sitting a role model for the rest of africa is a major threat to the u dominance of their own population. so of course, the gonna have to hate, obviously because he's moving towards the reacher. and that means that they're going to be independent, and eventually a socialist country like creatures. well i should admit to having been to our dryer, i can see those similarities in terms of fighting blockades and sanctions. as

regards eritrea and, and of course cuba, thomas mouth stopped you there more from the most widely distributed independent journalist in the whole of africa after this break plus is ukraine, the well dressed humanitarian crisis because the u. n. says it is yemen where british us armed warplanes bomb this week we investigate all of them all coming up and bought 2 of going underground. it's been 30 years since the soviet union collapsed. mom miss couple other little chill. the want to walk up on getting a little talk, so shown where you also trust them with all of them. ukraine was one of the independent states that emerge from the ruins of a super bow. i'm doing awesome. good. would you also get on google greens? come a little more surely confusing some of the i can last new each unless you did better 11 law totally different or else one as a, as a resource for you the business. is there a service for the teacher developing and finish out the should with

watch of the past 3 decades when likely ukraine, eye witnesses recall the events. this will be more or less of judiciary, both in the deficiency of chipotle. what i knew to know if that order, i'm not sure, but if i told them once with marvin windows and what other forces were at play, you have to do so to whom you show c inch in machine, those them you put in the kid what it would occur when it shows up in the ocean. jordan is take a look at ukraine, 30 years out, the gaining independence dog with unity retorted live, but a will it a little too much for holding? no problem. well, it shows the wrong one. all 3. just don't move any world.

yes to save. how does the becomes the advocate and engagement equals the trail? when so many find themselves worlds apart, we choose to look for common ground. ah, welcome back. i'm still here with the renown to most widely distributed independent journalists in the whole of africa, thomas mountain. i've got to ask, since oxfam is a reporting drought conditions affecting food security right across africa. and then the club will south. how is there a tray and managed to retain food security amidst, amidst the drought, amidst the climate change conditions. well, reach her the, the president reaches very far sighted guy quickly and he, you know, back in 2003, 2004 richer had the 1st 2 year drop in history back to back. and then in 2008,

2009, we are hammered again with a 2 year drug. so the president took most of reachers resources and put them into water and soil conservation and as constructed 9 massive dams and over 700 smaller dams. you know, to store water, so they can begin irrigating and not dependent upon rainfall for their very survival. so richer has been able to overcome this rainfall dependents are now is basically pulled self sufficient, which is what their interest pushing ethiopia and the rest of them are african to start doing as well way. but say you're saying all the agencies, all the ngos, all the people across the global south who administer regions where there is grave food insecurity, let alone places like yemen, the world's was humanitarian crisis, which was as being bombed by u. s. u k. arms. no one understands that there is a relatively, i'm not saying it's easy. i think you said the hard work of the air trained people

are responsible. so i would say it's coercion. there is an answer to this. that is not some kind of magic. and it's africa is poor for a reason, not because it's africa. that's right. you know, they don't want you to be independent self sufficient. they want african to be beggars. they want to be able to control the african leadership so that they can continue to exploits super, exploit the resources of the country. i mean, you know, what is the oil companies paying 8 percent royalty on oil? i mean, nigeria is supposed to be a rich, rich country, but the poor people are, are hungry. why? because they're being ripped off for their oil. i mean, this is what the threat of a good example of origin has. now sprint, ethiopia, and the you and all their lackeys, whether they're in their human rights organizations or in the media or their people in the u. n. are all very concerned about africa standing up and say, we're not going to be dominated by the you anymore. that up with new colonialism,

that's become a big thing. any job, you know, new colonialism. why? because the i m f in the world bank, or the way they control their economies. and by controlling their economies, they control their governments and they're trying to these african countries in the barriers and interesting know, cannot be there's, we have to be self sufficient. we have to have food security 1st and foremost, that's a question of national security. because without food security, you're going to be a bigger and then your people are going to start when they decide they don't want the hours of be in the west. besides that, you are not going the line. well, i'm having, well, bank say they've chained changed. we invite the t p f on the program and obviously those human rights organizations are continue to condemn what they see as human rights abuses by the if you can return government against the people to, to gray as well. thank you. now while later in asian media has been focused on a war in europe,

ongoing was in the horn of africa in the middle east are arguably being ignored this week. the saudi led coalition in yemen, and by the u. s. u. k and france bombed a civilian ministry for the very 1st time when millions face starvation in displacement. this is the financial winners and losers from the growing of our it's when demick are becoming clearer, will. joining me now from newton in england is oxfam intellectuals, global programs director. lydia is a go. mm hm. thank you so much. lydia, for coming on the i thought the worst humanitarian crisis is the ukraine. if you watch the news, and apparently it isn't as global program director and, and as the rich nations arguably recover from the pandemic. why do you think, lee, you and claims yemen is the worst humanitarian crisis, not ukraine, which is dominating the media. because and the humanity and crisis are in fact the conflict in e m. n has been going on since 2015. so we're talking about a 7 year conflict, which hasn't had an immense impact on the people of him and has to some extent been

forgotten with the many crisis that have come up in the last few years. yet this is one where we see millions of people affected. 9 of the population of here men has been in a constant state of war for a very long time, am sorry, lydia were having to sound issues were gone. one of the sad stories i was looking at was of a little boy called alma, in one of the displacement and camps. and he was, am in his, the under 10 years old. so most of his life has now been plant spent in displacement capital. and his wish, his biggest wish was to return back to his village and play football in the park. and his father selim was talking about the fact that the situation is now so bad that he has to choose whether he buys his children, o winter clothes as winter approaches over the needs of his wife's sick wife for

medicine. and is making the choice to pay for the medicine for his wife, rather than to buy a walmart clothes for his, for his children. i already read an order for that kind of story is repeated. i have to say in the united states, which is supplying the weapons for this conflict, arguably. and we have food bags here in britain and what is the impact of british and american arms sales? i mean, what ox ram is saying that there were bloss 143 strikes of hid civilian targets, just in the marine area in yemen. can you understand why joe biden? after initial attempts, he said that he might pause on the arms export. why the united states is exporting weaponry, and while there was one report of a f, a civil servant, claiming the boy's johnson jokes about weapons exports to yemen, to yemen. i can't comment on that the quote you just mentioned from boris johnson. but i can say that from what we see, since the escalation,

particularly of conflict. and since last year, january, particularly married, the air strikes have been doing quite a significant amount of damage. but it is important that in this conflict to we understand that all parties have contributed. so it strikes is definitely one of the issues, but they've also been missing this ground fighting their land mines, which are also killing people. and, you know, the problem with this type of fighting is, and that this type of weaponry is indiscriminate in terms of its targeting. so we're seeing increased amount of civilian casualties and also damage to public infrastructure that should actually be for the benefit of the development of human these people. and so in terms of the arms race, yes, it is important that you know, we look at the way in which arms sales to saudi arabia, from our own governments here that you can and like the u. s. a fuel such conflicts and we look to and these governments looking at their policies and they know sort

of strategies that they've got in place to understand that part of the reason the conflict is continuing is because of the way in which we're doing this type of her arm straight, and therefore there needs to be some accountability by all parties, add to the situation and and conflict in n in yemen. and the fact that it is the result international humanitarian law and human rights laws are not being respected. and that being violated by all sides, the people of human really require a lasting solution, a peaceful solution. well, obviously britain in the united states they, they are definitely not fueling the conflict whatsoever. and you said all sides, every one. so peace, obviously, use it all sizes that include journalist feeling the conflict. there wasn't that much coverage of a strike this week on the ministry of telecommunications by war planes, presumably armed by britain in the united states. why do you think journalists are no more interested in the story that ox firm goes on and on about?

i guess you are, you would have to post that question. we are, we cover that we cover it. we've covered this story for years as part of the media, but i think the reality of the media is often generated also affected by whatever the interests of the media houses that they work for and put on the table for them to to consider. but i think it's also because we've become a society which has to some extent been immunized from understanding and appreciating at the depth of the human suffering around us. and may be, we've been a little bit more concerned about issues like cove it and which we should be concerned about. and the public health and prices that cove it presented for for many of our countries and have lost sight of the fact that in many parts of the world such as the men, there is an actual relationship between conflict, climate crisis and cove. it okay, hold on a 2nd,

i want to get to that the 2nd just just on e m. and lastly, the wise old swam alone would save the children in loads of other engineers attacking the by ministration over the designation of losing community in yemen. why? why are you attacking the wires? well, we're, we're trying to point out that that bite. and when he came into power prison by the end did actually do something very useful, which was to reverse and revoke the previous designation by the previous regime of anti ela. and it's important that you know, he, as in the attempts to try to find a way of resolving the conflicts, they don't put in place measures that are actually going accelerate, and exacerbated the suffering of the, of the, of the minis people. so it's understanding that the impact of such a designation is actually worse on the citizens of the country, already ravaged by this conflict, but also by the humanitarian crisis that the conflict has actually,

and they created exacerbated, also by climate change. and the fact that also with all of this, you know, the banking system, the financial systems of, you know, have been impacted. and you know, a lot of the eamon is people rely on and i think it's about 90 percent imports. yemen relies on imports and inputs of fuel of food and medical supplies. so all of these things affected when we do these, i should say brittany, the united states began to donors. and i know i'm also has been talking about intellectual property rights on cove vaccines. are building bo intake, but you mentioned climate change or there and oversee a bite was trying to sell gas to do you? great. i do know where that fits in with climate change. what is going on in the autumn africa right now, which is another story, completely ignored, and it's being impacted by climate change. yeah, i mean the horn of africa is exactly the perfect storm of an extent,

conflicts as well in of course if not, then if you appear that is a particular concern and still an issue in parts of somalia. but also climate change is having a devastating impact on this region. and together with also the fallout from cove it. so yes, this is a situation where i, we want to make sure that the world doesn't lose sight of the fact that there are parts of the world which are truly and experiencing more of the very things that we're talking about when it came to cop 266 cetera. and that we do need to change sure that honda does not continue to result in that it's of so many people in these communities. what we're seeing is, you know, of course, continue loss of livelihood as they lose their main asset, which is their life stock. inability to a, to do with their farming activities in terms of cropping. so they can't sustain and

feed them. so, and we need to find a way to enable these communities to become more resilient, but also to provide them with the means by which they not only have food for today, but can actually feed themselves for the future. and this is where the focus has to be on the drought and drug assistance, but it generally under you, monetary and response plans across the out the horn of africa, countries. apologies to v as in sound quality. but lydia's ago, thank you so much. thank you. that's over the show, but before we go, i should say, you know, militia, we mistakenly said the barbados was leaving the commonwealth. we should of course, have said that the caribbean nation is removing queen elizabeth. the 2nd is it's out of state. therefore, becoming a republic where we have still in the commonwealth will be back on saturday when john chancellor shawl to set to speak the annual munich security conference known as diverse for defense, where russia will not have a representative. and you'll then give a just wireless social media and others of using major nations should be doing more to help the world's worst humanitarian crises or less

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ah, this alice top headlines are not the international. the war that never was the western media is left with egg on its face. after a flurry of predictions, there would be an invasion of ukraine today. instead, russian troops returning to base off their wrapping up their drills along the border. well, some can't seem to stop danny, the drums of war. you as president for one news, insisting that the threat of an attack remains very real. and with uncertainty over ukraine, pushing up energy prices, germans fear a shortage and electrical supplies could lead to nationwide blackout. we're here on the program. we hear their concerns. if our politicians continue to act like they do in their foreign policy with russia and other countries, that blackouts may happen, the problem is politicians are afraid of not being elected if they do something wrong.