Commemoration of the founding of the African Union
Africa Day
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Observed by
| Member states of the
African Union
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Type
| International; cultural and historical
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Significance
| Anniversary of the foundation of the
Organisation of African Unity
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Date
| 25 May
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Next time
| 25 May 2025
(
2025-05-25
)
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Frequency
| annual
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Related to
| African Freedom Day and African Liberation Day
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Africa Day
(formerly
African Freedom Day
and
African Liberation Day
) is the
annual commemoration
of the foundation of the
Organization of African Unity
on May 25, 1963.
[1]
It is celebrated in various countries on the
African
continent
as well as around the world. The organization was replaced by the
African Union
on July 9, 2002, but the holiday continues to be celebrated on 25 May.
Background
[
edit
]
The First Congress of Independent African States was held in
Accra
,
Ghana
on 15 April 1958. It was convened by the
Prime Minister of Ghana
,
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah
, and comprised representatives from
Egypt
(then a constituent part of the
United Arab Republic
),
Ethiopia
,
Liberia
,
Libya
,
Morocco
,
Sudan
,
Tunisia
, the
Union of the Peoples of Cameroon
, and the host country, Ghana.. The
Union of South Africa
was not invited. The conference showcased progress of liberation movements on the African continent in addition to symbolizing the determination of the people of Africa to free themselves from foreign
domination
and
exploitation
. Although the
Pan-African Congress
had been working towards similar goals since its foundation in 1900, this was the first time such a meeting had taken place on African soil.
[2]
The conference called for the founding of an
African Freedom Day
, a day to "...mark each year the onward progress of the liberation movement, and to symbolize the determination of the people of Africa to free themselves from foreign domination and exploitation."
[3]
The conference was notable in that it laid the basis for the subsequent meetings of African heads of state and government during the
Casablanca Group
and the
Monrovia Group
era, until the formation of the
Organisation of African Unity
(OAU) in 1963.
[4]
History
[
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]
Five years later, on 25 May 1963, representatives of thirty African nations met in
Addis Ababa
, Ethiopia, hosted by
Emperor
Haile Selassie
. By then more than two-thirds of the continent had achieved independence, mostly from imperial European states. At this meeting, the Organization of African Unity was founded, with the initial aim to encourage the decolonization of
Angola
,
Mozambique
,
South Africa
and
Southern Rhodesia
. The organization pledged to support the work conducted by freedom fighters, and remove military access to colonial nations. A charter was set out which sought to improve the
living standards
across member states. Selassie exclaimed, "May this convention of union last 1,000 years."
[5]
The charter was signed by all attendees on 26 May, with the exception of Morocco.
[a]
At that meeting, Africa Freedom Day was renamed
Africa Liberation Day
.
[3]
In 2002, the OAU was replaced by the
African Union
. However, the renamed celebration of
Africa Day
continues to be celebrated on 25 May in respect to the formation of the OAU.
[6]
25 may
[
edit
]
By the way, the meeting in
Addis Ababa
, Ethiopia, was held on May 25, the day of
Tito
's birthday celebration, according to the agreement of
Haile Selassie
and
SFRY
President
Josip Broz Tito
.
So, in fact, the celebration of Africa Day is at the same time the celebration of
Tito
's birthday.
Contemporary celebrations
[
edit
]
Africa Day continues to be celebrated both in Africa and around the world, mostly on 25 May (although in some cases these periods of celebrations can be stretched out over a period of days or weeks).
[7]
[8]
Themes are set for each year's Africa Day, with 2015's being the "Year of Women's Empowerment and Development towards Africa's
Agenda 2063
". At an event in New York City in 2015,
Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations
,
Jan Eliasson
, delivered a message from
Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon
in which he said, "Let us... intensify our efforts to provide Africa's women with better
access to education
, work and
health care
and, by doing so, accelerate Africa's transformation".
[9]
The slogan of the 2023 Africa Day celebration was "Our Africa Our Future".
[10]
The theme of 2024 Africa Day celebration is "Education Fit for the 21st Century".
[11]
See also
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
Morocco's delegation was present in an observatory capacity only, due to the attendance of
Mauritania
and the ongoing border dispute with that nation.
[5]
References
[
edit
]
Further reading
[
edit
]
- Allardt, Helmut ; European Economic Community (1959).
The tasks and the aims of the European Economic Community in Africa : lecture given on the occasion of Africa Day at the German Industries Fair, Hanover, 30 April 1959.
Brussels
: Publications Dept. of the European Communities.
OCLC
883719446
.
- Mugabe, Robert Gabriel ; Zimbabwe. Ministry of Information, Posts and Telecommunications (1987).
Address delivered to the Nation by Cde R.G. Mugabe, the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, on Africa Day May 25, 1987.
Policy statement. Causeway,
Zimbabwe
: Ministry of Information, Posts and Telecommunications.
OCLC
180493758
.
- Ginkel, J. A. van ; Court, Julius ; Langenhove, Luk van ; United Nations University ; Africa Day Symposium on Integrating Africa (2003).
Integrating Africa : perspectives on regional integration and development
.
Tokyo
: United Nations University.
OCLC
800928725
.
- Bond, Patrick (2004).
South Africa and global apartheid : continental and international policies and politics
: address to the Nordiska Afrikainstitutet Nordic Africa Days,
Uppsala
, Sweden 4 October 2003. Discussion paper / Nordiska Afrikainstitutet = Scandinavian Institute of African Studies. Nordiska Afrikainstitutet. Discussion Paper,
ISSN
1104-8417
; 25.
External links
[
edit
]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Africa Day
.
Season of Emancipation in Barbados (April 14 to August 23)
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