REMINDER: ‘Russia’s Abuses in Africa’ with Philip Obaji Jr — A Bette Dangerous Series
Bette members—please register for our new, 2-part series with Nigerian reporter Philip Obaji Jr on Russia’s human rights abuses in Central and West Africa
***Bette members will find the registration links below the paywall. To join our community events and to help support independent investigative journalism in a time of grave peril, please upgrade to a paid membership.***
Those who joined us for Part 1 of our Speakeasy series with Martin Sheil on Sunday were treated to a first-class talk by a global expert on money laundering.
I feel so much better knowing that Marty is in the fight with us.
If you would like to attend the remaining sessions in the series, please register here or below the paywall:
Bette’s multi-part lecture series with global experts on Trump-Russia and Ukrainian and Soviet history has proven invaluable. We launched with a four-part Speakeasy series with Ukrainian historian Tetiana Boriak. I just dropped the print report for Part 3 of that series, and it’s breathtaking in scope.
We followed that up with a brilliant, 3-part Speakeasy series with New York Times bestselling author Craig Unger. Those new to Bette Dangerous can check out one of my previous interviews with Unger here:
Philip Obaji Jr
I am thrilled to introduce the Bette community to award-winning Nigerian journalist Philip Obaji Jr for a two-part Happy Hour series beginning this Tuesday, January 20, at 11 am Pacific. In Part 1, he will detail Russia’s human rights abuses and exploitation by Russian paramilitaries deployed in West and Central Africa. Part 2 on January 27 is a Q&A session.
You will find the registration links for the series below the paywall.
I developed the multi-part lecture series concept after a recent realization that pro-democracy writers are competing for headline attention against very well-financed and coordinated ‘clickbait fascism’ and to write one-off reports on a subject that deserves multi-part exploration is to surrender in advance.
So please register and calendar these upcoming events. And if you are not yet a paid member, please consider upgrading.
BETTE’S HAPPY HOUR WITH PHILIP OBAJI JR ON RUSSIA IN AFRICA
Tuesday, January 20: Bette’s Happy Hour Series with Philip Obaji Jr, Part 1 — Russia’s Infiltration and Human Rights Abuses in Africa
11 am Pacific, 2 pm Eastern
Tuesday, January 27: Bette’s Happy Hour Series with Philip Obaji Jr, Part 2 — A Q&A session
11 am Pacific, 2 pm Eastern
Registration for all events, including Parts 2 & 3 with Marty, can be found by scrolling all the way to the end of this post.
More about Philip Obaji Jr
In the last seven years, Philip Obaji has documented up to 100 human rights abuses and exploitation by Russian paramilitaries deployed in West and Central Africa. He has investigated and reported gut-wrenching massacres, rape, torture and oppression of vulnerable villagers by mercenaries from the Wagner Group and its successor, the Africa Corps, in the Central African Republic (CAR) and in Mali, despite threats in an incredibly risky context including being held hostage by CAR rebels and detained by CAR soldiers who tortured him on the orders of Russian paramilitaries. Obaji, whose investigative work has been published by some of the world’s most authoritative media outlets including USA Today, Foreign Policy, Al Jazeera and The Daily Beast, has received several recognitions for his work, including winning the 2022 Jaime Brunet International Human Rights Prize, the 2023 One World Media International Journalist of the Year award, the 2024 Homo Homini award, and the 2025 Knight International Journalism Award.
If you can, please consider contributing to Obaji’s GoFundMe:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/philip-obaji-uncover-russian-atrocities-africa
Daily Beast links: https://www.thedailybeast.com/author/philip-obaji-jr/
TESTIMONY AT U.S. HELSINKI COMMISSION
Philip Obaji appears before United States Senators and House Representatives in the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe hearing on Russian imperialism in Washington DC: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/philip-obaji-jr-1185a613_what-a-privilege-to-appear-before-united-activity-7242839561096024064-qBRQ?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios
TRUTH TO JUSTICE CONFERENCE, BERLIN: How Russian disinformation threatens Africa, hurts Europe, and demeans the West:
AWARDS & HONOURS
Philip Obaji Wins Knight International Journalism Award
Torture and Death as a Reward for Work: a Journalist from Nigeria and a Reporter from Ukraine to Receive the Homo Homini Award
Philip Obaji named finalist for Michael Kelly Award
https://thesun.ng/philip-obaji-named-finalist-for-michael-kelly-award/?amp
Finalists Announced for the Robert Burns Humanitarian Award 2025
The Daily Beast’s Philip Obaji Jr. Named ‘International Journalist of the Year’
The journalist Philip Obaji Jr. and the Wassu Foundation obtain “ex aequo” the Jaime Brunet International Award for the Promotion of Human Rights of the UPNA 2022
Nigeria’s Philip Obaji shortlisted for World ‘Most Resilient Journalist Award’
Philip Obaji is sole African nominated for the Stuttgart Peace Prize
https://starconnectmedia.com/philip-obaji-is-sole-african-nominated-for-the-stuttgart-peace-prize/
Shortlist for the Human Rights Tulip 2022
https://www.government.nl/latest/news/2022/10/21/human-rights-tulip-2022-shortlist
Nigerian Journalist Philip Obaji Wins 2021 Allard Prize For International Photography Contest
Philip Obaji Named Among Winners For Fetisov Journalism Awards
https://theglittersonline.com.ng/philip-obaji/
The Future Awards Africa Prize for Young Person of the Year, Philip Obaji Jnr. (Nigeria) Winner
A heartfelt thank you to those of you who are renewing your memberships at the full annual fee and to those who continue to support me at the Founding Member level. Your support means everything to me and allows this project to continues.
Those on a tight budget, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at bettedangerous/gmail as I offer a discount for fixed income members and those dedicated to pro-democracy activism.
Also, sincere gratitude to those of you who offered additional support in our membership + donation drive. You keep this project going.
Please keep scrolling below the paywall for the registration links.
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Bette Dangerous is a reader-funded magazine. Thank you to all monthly, annual, and founding members.
I expose the corruption of billionaire fascists, while relying on memberships for support.
Thank you in advance for considering the following:
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Buying my ebooks
A private link to an annual membership discount for older adults, those on fixed incomes or drawing disability, as well as activists and members of the media is available upon request at bettedangerous/gmail. 🥹
More info about Bette Dangerous - This magazine is written by Heidi Siegmund Cuda, an Emmy-award winning investigative reporter/producer, author, and veteran music and nightlife columnist. She is the cohost of RADICALIZED Truth Survives, an investigative show about disinformation and is part of the Byline Media team. Her Hot Type column appears in Byline Supplement. Thank you for your support of independent investigative journalism.
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Begin each day with a grateful heart.
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