The African continent marked Africa Day on Saturday, May 25, 2024 with a call to realise the founding continental aspirations of the African Union (AU). Africa Day is observed annually on May 25 to celebrate the achievements of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the predecessor of the AU, from its creation on May 25, 1963.
According to the AU, Africa Day is commemorated to acknowledge the role of the continental bloc in the fight against colonialism and the progress Africa has made, while reflecting on the common challenges the continent faces in a global environment.
Marking this year’s celebration, the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, in his message, indicated that since the formation of the OAU, the African continent “has freed itself from the yoke of colonialism and the appalling system of apartheid. Its intellectual, scientific and cultural resources have been immensely developed, diversified and enriched”.
He further noted that the continent’s economy has grown at rates envied by many parts of the world, and the continent’s resilience during the global coronavirus pandemic impressed many globally.
“Africa’s demographic explosion, its social constraints that are resistant to the demands of the new world, the continuing deterioration of our climatic conditions, the various forms of foreign interference in our internal affairs, the permeability of certain categories of its elites to foreign discourse, and the obvious shortcomings in terms of governance have not helped to transform the afore-mentioned positive assets into factors of social justice, equality and inclusive prosperity,” he said.
Most importantly, the AU Chief urged all Africans to observe the Africa Day celebration as an opportune moment for reflection to assess how far we have come and to reflect on the road ahead. “The OAU, born of the pain of our struggles, now finds itself at a real crossroads. We must reform resolutely and courageously to become what our founding fathers wanted us to be, which is a powerful lever for unity, liberation, integration and the defense of African dignity in relation to ourselves and others,” he said.
With the youth making up more than 60 percent of Africa’s population, it is important for the 55-member continental organisation to push for a legitimate aspiration for inclusive and shared prosperity in a peaceful, integrated Africa, as outlined in the AU’s 50-year continental development blueprint, Agenda 2063.
In Ghana, the African diplomatic missions organised a food bazaar to celebrate the unity and diversity of the continent as part of African Day celebration. Held at the Togolese Embassy in Accra, the event provided a platform for countries to experience one another’s culture through food, music and dance.
The event featured traditional music and dance performances by representatives from the participating countries in addition to the food bazaar – the first to be organised in commemoration of AU Day, and preceded by a flag-raising ceremony at the State House in Accra on Friday, May 24, 2024.
There were other non-African diplomats joining in the celebration. They were the Ambassadors of Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Lebanon, who joined the ceremony to discover and experience the different African cultures on display at the ceremony.
The Ambassador of Morocco and the Dean of the African Group of Ambassadors, Imane Ouaadil, explained that the goal was to showcase African unity and diversity. She further recognised Ghana’s role as a beacon of stability and its historical ties to Pan-Africanism, saying: “Ghana is a beacon of stability in the region and you see how many African embassies are present here. We are all proud to come to serve in Ghana and we know that Ghana has been at the forefront of Pan-Africanism”.
>>>Chris is a thought leader in Marketing Communications, Stakeholder Relationship Management Professional and International Cooperation Specialist. Over the last 15 years, he has made tremendous impact within Africa’s corporate communications and creative arts sectors. He can be reached at [email protected] / +233 20 854 1480.
