As Prof. Lumumba calls for legislative
powers for the Parliament
The
African Union and its Member States also Commemorated
The
President of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), H.E. Hon. Chief Fortune Charumbira has called on African leaders to unite to be
able to address the challenges facing the continent.
H.E. Chief Charumbira
made the call in a statement commemorating the 60th anniversary of
the formation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) which re-launched into
the African Union in 2002.
The
Pan-African Parliament had on Thursday joined the other organs of the African
Union (AU) and the rest of the continent in celebrating Africa Day with a very colourful
ceremony at the seat of the Parliament in Midrand, South Africa.
“On this special day, we remember
with nostalgia, the pan-africanist spirit that compelled our founding fathers
to establish the Organization of African Unity on 25th May 1963, with the noble
objective of uniting Africa in the quest for freedom from the shackles of
colonialism” said Charumbira.
“We must unite now more than ever, to address the
persistent challenges of poverty, energy insecurity, unconstitutional changes
of government, civil wars, the ravages of climate change, the looming threat of
hunger and malnutrition, terrorism and violent extremism, among others.”
“In
the wake of the resurgence of armed conflict in Sudan, the Pan-African
Parliament commits itself to continue standing as the voice of the voiceless on
the continent. Our rallying point will always be the will of the people of
Africa and our operative mantra will continue to be “One Africa, One Voice” he concluded.
In
a keynote address which was delivered virtually, the Director of Kenya Law
School, Prof. Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba
reflected on the history and vision that the continent’s leaders and people had
for Africa and called on PAP members to allow this 60th Year
Anniversary of the African Union
to be its Pentecost.
Prof. Lumumba recalled that in the
Christian Faith, Pentecost is the beginning of the Christian church’s mission
to the world and then advised the parliamentarians to lobby their respective
national governments to grant legislative powers to the continental parliament.
“We
have to ask ourselves that an institution such as yours, in the current way
that it has been instituted, does it really drive the spirit of Pan-Africanism?
I think you are a beginning and I see the PAP as the early days, the embryotic
stages of moving towards a more demographic representation of Africans within
Africa. Today, many of your deliberations do not bind any country. To the
extent that they don’t, they undermine the very value that you can add to the
African agenda”.
“Let
the spirit of Pan-Africanism be sent into your hearts and minds, wherever you
are from, go back to your country and tell your president you want more power
for the Pan-African Parliament,” he said.
Prof.
Lumumba ended his speech saying that Africa can be great and that PAP can be
instrumental in creating an environment that will energize the African agenda.
“Africa
can rise. And we must remember these immortal words of Kwame Nkrumah, ‘We may
have differences, but we must never emphasize those difference, we must
de-emphasize them, because our diversity is a cultural mosaic which if we use
well, it is the symphony that will create the music of Pan-Africanism and
Africans will be a people who are respected in the world’,” he said.
The
African Union and its Member States also Commemorated
The African Union Commission (AUC) at its Headquarters in Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia also celebrated the 60th anniversary
of the Organization of the African Unity (OAU) and the subsequent formation of
the African Union (AU). The Africa Day which is being observed by all Africans
in the continent and the Diaspora, was an opportunity for the AU to pay
tribute to the Founding Fathers and Mothers of the OAU/AU for the huge strides
they made to achieve sovereignty across the African continent, as well as the decision adopted by
African Heads of State and Government to transition from the OAU to the AU, as
issued in the Sirte Declaration in Libya in1999 which called for the
establishment of an African Union, with the aim of accelerating the process of
continental integration among others.
The commemoration of
the 60th anniversary
of the OAU-AU is a milestone that
vividly portrays the continent’s commitment to solidarity, peace, security, and
economic integration. Worth recalling that, the OAU was established on 25 May 1963
in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, to promote unity and solidarity between
African states and to contribute to the economic, social, and political
development of the continent, among others. 60 years on, it has been notable in
its role of fostering collective action, with the enshrining of common values
and the collaboration between African nations.
The
celebrations at the AU headquarters took place in the presence of H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of
the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, H.E Azali Assoumani, President of the Union of Comoros and
Chairperson of the African Union, H.E.
Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the AUC, H.E Dr. Monique Nsanzabaganwa, Deputy Chairperson of the AUC,
H.E. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma,
former Chairperson of the AU Commission, AU Commissioners, Members of the
Permanent Representative Committee, AUC staff and their families,
Representatives from AU Organs and RECs, the media and invited guests.
In
his welcoming remarks, H.E. Moussa Faki
Mahamat, Chairperson of the AU Commission , said May 25, is a very
important day in the history of Africa as it honours the vision and
pan-Africanism of the Founding Members of the OAU-AU which laid the
groundwork for the African renaissance and its socio economic and political
development.
The
AUC Chairperson noted that “we have good reasons during this celebration of the
60th anniversary of the OAU to meditate and communion in solidarity with our
brothers and sisters who have been forced to internal displacement or exile due
to different conflicts in the continent” .
The
AUC Chairperson however recalled that, during the celebration of the 50th
anniversary of the OAU in 2013, “our leaders, by adopting Agenda 2063, insisted
on the ambitious project of "Silencing the guns by 2020" with the
hope not to leave future generations the burden of war and insecurity”…as our
leaders want to see a united Africa, at peace with itself and playing a dynamic
role in the world arena.
Chairperson
Faki further underlined that,
“despite the difficulties of all kinds, Africa remains characterized by its
great capacity for resilience. It was able, despite alarmist forecasts at the
time, to hold firm in the face of the COVID 19 pandemic. Better still, Africa
seized the opportunity of this misfortune to rethink its health strategy in
concerted action by our heads of state and government. Proof that if Africa
wants, it can, whatever the nature and type of adversity it may have to
face….Africa must unite, said Kwame Nkrumah”.
“On
this solemn day, the celebration which takes us back to the spirit of the
founding fathers of the OAU, I would like to amplify their voices which
continue to resound from beyond the grave, by issuing a vibrant appeal to all
of us, African men and women, of the continent and of the diaspora, so that the
strength of our unity and our long-awaited and expected solidarity now operate
as indispensable levers for our power and emancipation…Let's rely on ourselves
first. The solidarity of our friends and partners will come in addition…Long
live Africa, long live friendship between peoples!” concluded the AUC
Chairperson.
Speaking during the
event, Dr. Abiy Ahmed, Prime
Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia said “Sixty years ago
on this very date, Addis Ababa did host a historic event that would shape the
course of our continent, as 32 Heads of state and Government of independent
African Nations converged in our capital to sign the Charter that would create
the Organization of African Unity”.
The
Prime Minister underlined that the continent with its 55 African Union members
are very strong and is fast becoming a critical voice in the global arena, “we
have come a long way in promoting and defending an African common position on
issues of interest to our continent and our people, yet much remains to be
done, in realizing the aspirations of our forefathers as stipulated in the
founding charter and that of our Agenda 2063” he added .
H.E Azali Assoumani, President of the
Union of Comoros and Chairperson of the African Union on his part said “Let us
be proud of the achievements of the past six decades of our Organization, while
continuing to chart, with lucidity and pragmatism, the path of our future”.
Between 1963 and 2002, the Organization of African Unity succeeded in achieving
two major objectives in a particular historical context, by getting rid of the
colonization of Africa and the end of apartheid in South Africa”, the President
Added.
President Azali emphasized the need
to pursue together the ambitions for unity, peace and development to succeed in
creating the conditions for the free movement of goods and people in the
continental space, through the establishment of the African Continental Free
Trade Area (AfCFTA). “Let us ratify the Agreement, for those who are still
hesitating, in order to make this ambition a reality, and give our continent a
chance, to experience sustainable economic growth and to nourish the hope of
becoming one of the largest markets in the world, in the years to come”, urged
the President.
Other
events which took place during the celebrations included Honouring the OAU
founders Fathers, Planting trees to mark the 60th Anniversary, Exhibitions , various games and
activities for children and Cultural evening.
It would be recalled that
in May 1963, 32 Heads of independent African States met in Addis Ababa Ethiopia
to sign the Charter creating Africa’s first post-independence continental
institution with the main objectives to rid the continent of the remaining
vestiges of colonization and apartheid; to promote unity and solidarity amongst
African States; to coordinate and intensify cooperation for development; to
safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Member States and to promote
international cooperation, among others.
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