Recently, when talking about the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Kenyan CNN reporter Larry Madowo said on the show that many people in Africa believe that the Queen has never acknowledged Britain's aggressive colonial atrocities on the continent and therefore refuses to mourn her.
He also mentioned that south Africa's opposition "Economic Freedom Fighters" party issued a statement saying that Elizabeth's death reminded them of the tragic past that had occurred on African soil, "If there is real life and justice after death, may Elizabeth and her ancestors get what they deserve." ”
However, when Larry posted the video of the program on his personal Twitter, the unexpected happened - he was reported by an account from Germany, and it was for three consecutive days that many related tweets were "killed". Larry posted his repeatedly reported tweets, ironically saying that he was dreaming back to the "Berlin Conference" when the great powers divided Africa, "[it seems] that some people don't like Africans to tell their own stories." ”
According to the official judgment of Twitter, these reported contents did not violate the relevant regulations and were displayed normally. On the 12th, Larry put on a posture of "I like you can't get used to me and can't kill me", saying that Twitter will not delete these reported tweets, which makes some people very upset. ”
Recently, the news that has caused a sensation around the world is the death of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, and on the 9th, the US media CNN program talked about the "complex legacy left by the Queen of England in Africa", which mentioned "why some Africans refuse to mourn the British monarch".
In response, Larry Madowo, CNN's international correspondent in Nairobi from Kenya, said on the show that many people in Africa believe that the Queen of England has never acknowledged Britain's aggressive colonial atrocities on the continent and therefore refuse to mourn her.
He said, "There is a fairy tale that Goes like this: Elizabeth was a princess when she ascended the canopy in Kenya, and when she stepped off the canopy, she became a queen. This refers to the fact that when Elizabeth visited Kenya in 1952, she learned of the death of her father and her own succession.
But this "fairy tale" is the beginning of a nightmare for African people. Larry went on to say that just after Elizabeth's succession, an armed uprising against colonization broke out in Kenya in the same year, but it was brutally suppressed by the British colonial government, and more than 1 million people were tortured and inhumanized.
"So there are people across the continent saying: 'I will not mourn for Queen Elizabeth because my ancestors suffered brutal atrocities under her people's rule, and she never fully acknowledged that.'" ”
Larry also mentioned that South Africa's opposition "Economic Freedom Fighters" party issued a stern statement on the queen's death, making it clear that it would "not mourn her".
"For us, the death of her (the Queen) reminds us of the most tragic past in the history of this country and Africa," the statement read. During her 70 years as queen, she never acknowledged the atrocities inflicted on indigenous peoples when her family invaded around the world. If there is true life and justice after death, may Elizabeth and her ancestors get what they deserve. ”
Larry said there was much talk on social media about the statement. Some critics argue that it is "out of place" and that "the dead are greater"; Opponents asked, "When is it appropriate to talk about the remnants of colonialism and the subsequent effects that still exist today?" ”
Larry later posted a video of the interview on his personal Twitter post, saying "the Queen of England is not widely loved in Africa".
However, the next day (10th), Larry found that his Twitter had been reported, and it was this video about the Queen that was reported.
He posted the letter he received on Twitter, marking out the "user report from Germany" displayed in it, ironically saying that he was dreaming of the "Berlin Conference" of the great powers dividing Africa hosted by the German prime minister, "(It seems) that some people do not like Africans to tell their own stories", "History class is over, remember to hand in your term paper".
What's even more outrageous is that Larry found that after landing on a 13-hour flight, his tweet that had been reported was reported by a "German user". What "matryoshka" behavior...
However, Twitter officials determined that none of the reported content violated relevant community regulations and German law, so it was displayed normally.
On the 12th, Larry said that in the past day, the tweets he posted were reported twice, "but Twitter still won't delete these reported tweets, which makes some people very upset." ”
According to Kenyan media reports such as K24 TV and Nairobi News, many local netizens expressed support and affirmation for Larry's views expressed on CNN, attacking the Queen for not only participating in colonialism in many African countries, but also participating in the theft of many African wealth and works of art, as well as the racist wounds brought about by her 70 years in power.
In response to repeated reports of Larry's tweets, someone commented, "When you report the facts, they want you to take the news down." But what is "perceived" as electoral violence, if not verified at all, can make headlines in the international media. ”
Larry complained that "some people don't like Africans to tell their own stories", which also made some netizens feel the same way.
Someone mentioned in his comment section that shortly after the death of the Queen, the British media BBC released a short documentary reviewing "the Queen's long-term relationship with Africa", which aroused the dissatisfaction of many netizens, and the content of the short film was accused of distorting history and glorifying the evil deeds of British colonialism. After widespread criticism, the BBC Africa channel asked netizens to pay attention to the rhetoric, saying that it would delete all posts that "did not follow the rules of the community".
He lamented that it was more than just giving Africans a voice, "Now that history has begun to be revised, the BBC is trying to whitewash British colonialism into a mutually beneficial relationship." ”
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