22 June 2025, Nairobi – African Stream, a prominent Pan-African media platform, has announced it will cease operations on 1 July 2025, citing relentless censorship and financial strangulation following a smear campaign initiated by former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The platform, known for its unapologetic coverage of African issues and its challenge to Western narratives, shared the news in a heartfelt statement to its followers.
On 13 September 2024, Blinken labelled African Stream as “Kremlin propagandists,” a claim that unleashed a cascade of punitive actions. Within days, major platforms including YouTube, Meta, Google, and TikTok removed African Stream’s accounts, while X demonetised the outlet. Personal accounts of its team were also restricted, crippling the organisation’s ability to operate. “These actions shattered our ability to survive financially,” the statement read, describing the decision to shut down as “painful” but inevitable.
Since its inception in 2022, African Stream has built a loyal following by spotlighting underreported stories and challenging the dominant narrative that attributes Africa’s challenges solely to corruption and mismanagement. The platform consistently highlighted the roles of colonialism, neo-colonialism, and imperialism in shaping the continent’s trajectory. “The imperialists want to remove these from the picture. We refused to play by those rules,” the statement declared, acknowledging the heavy price paid for their stance.
The platform faced accusations of spreading “disinformation” from outlets like NBC, though no specific examples were provided. Similarly, Voice of America criticised African Stream for stating a verifiable fact: every US president since George W. Bush has authorised drone strikes on Somalia. “As we responded to every smear piece, we just grew bigger and stronger,” the statement noted, until censorship and deplatforming overwhelmed their resilience.
African Stream expressed profound gratitude to its supporters, whose engagement fuelled its mission. “Your comments, your messages, your shares—you made us stronger, sharper, and more determined,” the statement read. The platform will post a few remaining documentaries from Liberia and Mali before closing.
The closure marks a significant loss for Pan-African media, but African Stream urged its followers to “continue the fight and keep the Pan-African flag flying.” As the platform prepares to sign off, its legacy of challenging powerful narratives endures.
