Throwback – what WikiLeaks disclosed in 2009 in Africa
The founder of WikiLeaks entered into a plea deal with United States after 14 years of legal battle, drawing to a close a protracted legal battle that focused more on extradition.
Julian Assange was accused of disclosing sensitive information and classified documents. The documents disclose the rot and the misdeeds of the United States, Europe and top multinational companies.
The WikiLeaks founder attempted to change the narrative in the world, which according to United States is liable to harm.
Believing that if Julian is allowed to continue with his leaks, there would be nothing left of countries and top world companies – a deal was struck by US.
The deal will ultimately force Julian to stop uploading or disclosing classified documents. His website which was specifically created for leaks would seize to accept information for the purpose of leaking it.
From the Iraqi war to Afghanistan war, WikiLeaks disclosed excruciating videos where civilians were targeted by the US troops.
A certain leak also brought to fore the difficulties US troops were undergoing in their war against the Talibans, which was hidden from the public.
The biggest leak in Africa was the Ivory Coast fatal chemical dump that resulted in the deaths of citizens. The report was titled the Minton Report.
The 2009 report exposed how an internal report commissioned by Singapore-headquartered multinational company Trafigura concluded that its dumping of 540,000 litres of toxic waste, including harmful chemicals, in the Ivory Coast potentially led to “burns to the skin, eyes and lungs, vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of consciousness and death”.
Subsequently, United Nations reported that 108,000 people were affected by this dumping of waste.
The report raised dust and mirrored how Africans are being neglected or used as a genuine pig.
The act by Trafigura is one of the many undisclosed cases happening in Africa. While WikiLeaks was able to disclose that very case, thousands more could be unreported or couldn’t be declassified by force.
