AU Commission's Celebration of Africa Day Highlights 2025 theme of Demanding Justice, Reparations
Nada Mustafa
The African Union (AU) Commission held a high-level official celebration at its headquarters in Addis Ababa to mark Africa Day 2025.
The ceremony featured video addresses from the President of Angola, João Lourenço, as Chairperson of the African Union; the President of Ghana, John Mahama, as the African Union Champion for Advancing Justice and Reparations for Africans; the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Yusuf; and the Ethiopian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hadera Abera, representing the host country.
In his video address as Chair of the African Union, the President of Angola pointed out that the occasion is not only a call to remember, but also a call to galvanize will, complementing the founding fathers' calls for liberation and decolonization.
He added that Africa must strengthen its efforts to peacefully resolve regional conflicts and promote democratic governance to address the numerous challenges it faces in the areas of peace and security, youth unemployment, weak infrastructure, particularly in transportation and communications, and the lack of diversification of national economies.
He emphasized that despite these challenges, the continent's will and improved governance enable it to capitalize not only on its natural resources, but also on its human capital, particularly its youth, who have the potential to transform digital technology, renewable energy, and integrated industries.
He called for a conference for the Continental Free Trade Area on infrastructure and development policy enhancement this year, reaffirming the continent's focus on the future and commitment to a free and united Africa that overcomes the injustices of the past.
In his video address as the African Union's champion for justice and reparations for Africans, the President of Ghana emphasized that the African Union's theme for the year aims to rectify the injustices inflicted on the continent.
He explained that justice has many aspects, including offering clear apologies from the countries that committed these injustices, resolving the debt problems facing African countries, abandoning unfair trade practices, enabling the continent to achieve sustainable development, returning stolen cultural property, and developing educational curricula by teaching African history.
He emphasized that the African Union is committed to defending these rights through solidarity among its member states with the aim of building a continent characterized by equality and obtaining due reparations.
For his part, the Chairperson of the African Commission noted that remembrance is sometimes bitter, but it is also filled with hope for rectifying injustices. He indicated that the 2025 theme for the African Union is a mandate from the heads of state to achieve justice for the millions of Africans who suffered in the trans-atlantic enslavement. He emphasized that, despite this, Africa does not merely look to the past, but is determined to move forward into the future, leveraging its unique resources and advantages in all areas to fulfill the aspirations of its people, especially women and youth.
He emphasized that the continent has to occupy its lawful place in international decision-making mechanisms, highlighting that the African Union's membership in the G20 is evidence of its global standing. He emphasized the responsibility of Africans to protect the continent's resources for the future through its unity as established by the founding fathers as a principle and strategic direction.
Ambassador Amr Aljowaily, Director of the Directorate for Citizens' Organizations and African Diaspora at the African Union Commission, explained that the Directorate is tasked with coordinating the system-wide efforts and activities of the Union, across its various organs and units, around this year's theme of "Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations." He added that this includes working within the framework of the United Nations, particularly through the implementation of the "Second Decade for People of African Descent," in addition to cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), along with strengthening ties with African diaspora communities across various continents, including the Caribbean, the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
The celebration also included speeches by the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Ambassador Youssouf Mandouh Osman, Ambassador of the Union of the Comoros to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union; UNESCO Representative Dr. Rita Bissonnouth; Ambassador Martin Kimani, Chair of the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent; and Noah Thiam, President of the African Union Staff Association.
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