instability, especially in the g, a strategic babel, mandab straits through which are 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 international global programs director on what the u. n. 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 ball from its interventions in africa, as joe biden deployed thousands of soldiers to europe 4 years ago to day if yoga declared a state of emergency. yet amidst dire predictions of war, in the e. u, ethiopian politicians of just voted and their 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 virginia. the suspicious state of virginia is, i might say, the u. n. as i congratulated the era trend government in about 3 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 if you appear in eritrea. how is it relevant to that? well, now or nevada 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 at $22.00 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 to the service company, would this be it that? yeah, well, the other strategically critical 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 that basically controls the 2 largest trading partners in the world. europe in the now the united states is no longer dominant economically, but they remain dominant militarily. and so, you know, historically, ethiopia has been the police on the beat for the u. s. a. control bob on monday. now, ethiopia has made a dramatic turn since this coup d'etat to see i supported by the gripe people's liberation front people after short. and they tried to regain power. and if you

know 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, you know, whether you are, i understand it, that your list is understand it to see. i believe it 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 react, which is what's very alarming. i mean, i've been announced that it was going to nationalize all the land and this isn't the 1st time has been announced and he's fairly, very serious about it. more to what to reach it. nationalized o m. whoa, that's the 1st step towards socialism. so the americans are very upset about all this and they wanna our, our compliance regime in power and abby act that 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, for, for, for that one with the, with the british. and as for a u. s. support for the t b, l. f. sure. the usa department say people in to grey, continue to suffer human rights violations abusing atrocities and urgently needed humanitarian relief. is being blocked by the therapy nurture and military's. but i mean, if you are to congressman a congresswoman in washington d. c. 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. bratislava, 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 horner, it's all complete tribe or cations, as stories that have been planted on in pressing the loose by the cia, you know,

the national security establishment in the united states, so all of these propaganda, they put out there, i mean, the united states didn't have to give a 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 $100.00 heavy, medium range cruise missiles that were aimed at a retail 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. you'll have to 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 will of us, he, us, the cia, they once responded to us about allegations made on this program. i doubt they will respond to your allegations. i mean, are you saying that's a i m f world bank money destined for the one of africa is disappeared to the city

of london. oh, not only i mention your own bank, billions and billions. u. s. a. i d, them will 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 pass it, he came to power in 2018 and they were still enrolling him as he would did i that i the i'm, it 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 grave danger ahead because of the bite and administration is about the one of africa it when you se id was the one point headed by gal smith, who was a person that she i agent who recruited noah sonali to the see i way back in 1980.

he was the head of there. he was a, for a country school for the t p, i left in the field on a fight in the war. and 3 years later he was headed a g p l. now powerful of the forces against the kind of arguments you're making. 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 our audience understanding your allegations is the fact that you were in eritrea when perhaps international headlines of eritrea were coming out. and what you saw on the ground is very different to what you saw in the media. when my background, the 100 router, it 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 see the national on its website saying you are basically an apologist for eritrea 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 a base. what about you being an apologist for the or

a train regime is a goal it well that was originally the amnesty articles, originally an anonymous article and they would not respond to anything i saying, i guess it's kind of a mark of honor to be signed by amnesty because they've got so much to hide about their own corrupt practices. the horn of africa and allies, they put out 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, i presume, 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 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 and say human rights watch every trans government is extraordinarily repressive, subjecting its population to widespread for labor, conscription imposing restrictions of freedom of expression, opinion,

and faith. they have no legislature in eritrea. 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 empowering nato countries, but also clearly i'm annoying and angering human rights groups. western human rights groups. well, you know, i wrote an article i titled to reach iraq, 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 that came to part of the armstrong. so, you know, just like you must been targeted by the human rights watch and all these people and the cia interest base, the same sort of hostility. because for one thing richard doesn't know the i m f in

the world bank. any money they will fuse to take these predatory loans are the only africa that hasn't taken these predatory loan from 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. there's these predatory financial institutions. and you know, when you go to a risha, they say it's a police state, 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 a sanctions an unofficial sanction. still punishing the country now. you know, they're trying to make it reach you kneel down and reach us. motto is we never nailed down. and now i'll be off in the field and people are starting say, we will never deal down. and this is what's got all these organizations up in arms

because, well, you've got an independent voice in africa. and a lot of people are, reaches a small country, easy to ignore, but ethiopia is one of the 3 largest countries in africa. and ethiopia follows the reaching 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. now 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 is people's high standard living education and, and how can 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 after he, i'll be off because he's moving towards the reacher and that means that they're going to be independent. and eventually a socialist country. my 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 of, and of course a cuba, thomas mouth, cup you them more from the most widely distributed independent journalist in the whole of africa after this break plus is ukraine, the world's west humanitarian crisis because the u. n says it is yemen where british usaa warplanes bomb this week. we investigate all of them all coming up about to have going underground. ah, for months the u. s. in the u. k. of warned bruship may invade ukraine, and yet there has been no invasion. for their part,

the russian submitted abundantly clear. europe's current security arrangement is untenable. bank no saxon powers. talk of war. russia talks about security. this is my son, his c i o . m o. it's my daughter's a pretty warm a no. uh huh. oh, in that there was a couldn't walk over to one of the muddy ma calendar. i'm all she will not the

controls. oh. 1 you're 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 reporting drought conditions affecting food security right across africa, and that in the club will south. how is there a tray, a managed to retain food security, amidst, amidst the drought, amidst the climate change conditions. well, reach you. the president reaches very farsighted guy quickly, and he back in 2003, 2004 richer had to 1st to year drop in history back to back. and then in 2008, 2009 there hammered again with a 2 year drop. so the president took most of reachers resources and put them into

water and soil conservation and has constructed 9 massive dams and over 700 smaller dams. to store water, so they can begin irrigating and not dependent upon rainfall for their very survival. so reach has been able to overcome this rainfall dependence and now is basically food stamps efficient, which is what their interest pushing you. ok, and the rest of the african to start doing as well, way. but say you're saying all the agencies, all the, all the people across the global sound who administer regions where there is great food insecurity. let alone places like yemen, the world's was humanitarian crisis, which was 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 train 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 african put

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 to african, be biggers. they want to be able to control the african leadership so that they can continue to exploit super, exploit the resources of the country. i mean, you know, what is the oil companies pay 80 percent royalty on their well, 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 originally has now spread to easy opium and the, even all their lackeys, whether they're in their human rights organizations or media. or there are 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 any more that up with, you know, colonialism mean that's become a big thing in the job. you know, you know, colonialism. why? because i'm after 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 we cannot be there. 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 when the powers that be in the west. besides that, you are not telling the line well the, i'm having well, bank say they've chained change to we invite the t v l f on on the program. and obviously those human rights organizations are continue to condemn what they see is human rights abuses by leave hoping in our trend, governments against the people to, to great as well. thank you. ah. 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, on by the u. s. u. k and france bombed

a civilian ministry for the very 1st time. we're millions face starvation in displacement. this is the financial winners and losers from the growing of ours when demick and becoming clearer will join me now from leudemann. england is aux firm intellectuals, global programs director. lydia is a go. mm hm. thank you so much. lydia for coming on. yeah, i thought the worst humanitarian crisis is the ukraine. if you watch the news, and apparently it isn't as global programs director. and as the rich nations arguably recover from the pandemic, why do you think the un claims yemen is the worst humanitarian crisis? not ukraine, which is dominating the media. because the, the humanitarian crisis are in fact the conflict in yemen has been going on since 2015. so we're talking about a 7 year conflict, which has 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. you know that the population of yemen has been in a constant state of war for a very long time, ab, sorry, lydia were having to sound issues were gone. one of the sad stories i was looking at was of a little boy called armor in one of the displacement and camps. and he was in his, the under 10 years old. so most of his life has now been splint spent in displacement camps. and his wish, his biggest wish was to return back to his village and play football in the park. and his father selim, i 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 he 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 arm sales? i mean, what, ok firm is saying that there were bloss 143 strikes of his 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 civil servant claiming the boy's johnson jokes about weapons exposed to yemen, to him. and i can't comment on that the quote you just mentioned from barbara johnson. but i can't 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 strikes is definitely one of the issues, but they've also been missiles this ground fighting their land mines, which are also killing people. and in 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 in increased amount of civilian casualties and also damage to public infrastructure that should actually be for the benefit of the development of yemen . 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 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 to the situation and, and conflict in, in yemen. and the fact that is the result, international humanitarian law and human rights laws are not being respected. and that being violated by all sides, the people of yemen really require a lasting solution, a peaceful solution. well, obviously, bergmann, the united states they, they are definitely not fueling the conflict whatsoever. and you said all sides, everyone to piece. obviously, you said all sizes that include journalist feeling the conflict. there wasn't much coverage of the air strike this week on the ministry of telecommunications by war planes, presumably armed by britain in the united states. why do you think journalists to know more interested in the story rocks firm goes on and all about? i guess you are, you would have to pose that question. we are, we cover that we cover it. we've covered the story for years as part of the media,

but i think the reality of the media is often janet, this is also affected by, you know, 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 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 conflicting climate crisis and cove. it okay, hold on, i want to get a 2nd. i want to get to this the 2nd just just on e m. and lastly, the wise oxfam alone would save the children and loads of other engineers attacking

the by the, doing the situation over the designation of losing community in yemen. why, why you attacking the white us? well, we're, we're trying to point out that that bite, and when he came in to powered prison biden did actually do something very useful, which was to reverse and revoke the previous designation by the previous regime of answer allah. 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 to put in place measures that are actually going accelerate, and exacerbated the suffering of them. of the, of the human is 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 this 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, them, 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 are affected when we do these. i present, i should say, britain in the united states began to donors. i know i'm also has been talking about intellectual property rights on cobra. vaccines are, but if you buy winter, but you mentioned climate change in there, and obviously a buying was trying to sell gas to do you. great. i don't know where that fits in with climate change. what is going on in the world in 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 10 extent conflicts as well in of course if not, then if you appeared 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 cov 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 26, etc. and that we do need to change sure that honda does not continue to to, you know, 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 livestock inability to the, to do with their farming activities in terms of cropping. so they can't sustain and feed themselves and, 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 with the focus has to be on the drought and drug assistance, but it generally on the humanitarian response plans across the hub, the horn of africa, countries, apologies to abuse and sound quality relieve years ago. thank you so much. thank here. and that's over the show, but before we go, i should say, no 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 its head of state. therefore, becoming a republic or we have still in the commonwealth will be back on saturday when german chancellor will of shore to set to speak the annual munich security conference known as devils for defense, where russia will not have a representative. and when he was just wireless social media, and that is the using nato nations should be doing more to help the world's worst humanitarian crises or less with

these people learn from their own experience, how vulnerable a business is to the bank. so you push my business over, the age, pushes me right to the edge, bankruptcy. now i realize we will group, this isn't just the back that may be involved in this is the concept. see firms. it is the lawyers. these people have got you want on their stories at a walk kind of whistle blower. tell people's marriages have broken up. it lost their family homes. it is spectacularly devastating for people's lives. they have committed suicide, but left behind north. the explicitly state that it was the constant intimidation and billing by buying coffee sauce that led them to i took the spear, it's obscene. these people up nor saw

a survival guide stacy years ago. and historically, at the federal reserve issue. it's still there or you don't forget a back active. oh no. what recreational came when we get to read 7 years, go to saturday. what kind of report? hello, driven by dream shape as in a day or things. we dare to ask in

a war that never was the western media is left with egg on its face after a blurry of predictions that there would be an invasion of ukraine this wednesday. instead, russian troops are returning to base after wrapping up drills at the board. but some can't seem to stop banging the drums of war for the u. s. president, for one isn't to think that the threat of an attack remains very with my the prime minister. this is canada. yes, this is pam tammy and divided canadians palatine when we should be working together with acceptable and the canadian prime minister faces.