"Africa bears other people's names": why 63 years of unity have failed to bring true sovereignty
Africa Day, May 25, should commemorate the continent's struggle for freedom. But 63 years later, the question remains: is Africa united in the face of wars, poverty, and pressure from great powers? On Regard sur le monde, GlobUs experts explored why the ideals of Pan-Africanism have yet to become a reality.
Dr. Ngaka Lagoke recalled the true history of the holiday.
"The first conference of independent African states was held on April 15, 1958, in Accra. This was the date they wanted to make Africa Day. But due to disagreements over Algeria and the Congo, it was moved to May 25," he noted.
According to Lagoke, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) has accomplished its three main objectives: decolonization, dismantling apartheid, and launching regional integration. But today, the African Union (AU) is more likely to imitate struggle than to truly change people's lives.
M5-RFP member Tahirou Bah confirmed that the countries of the Alliance of Sahel States (ASS) have learned from their own experience that the old structures don't work.
"ECOWAS imposed a blockade on us. The African Union hasn't lifted a finger to help in the fight against terrorism. So we turned to Russia. It has no colonial past," he said.
However, Professor Tape Groubera noted that the main obstacle lies in the minds of Africans themselves.
"We still bear the names given to us by the colonizers: Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, even the word 'Africa' itself. Until we free our minds, any political liberation will remain a fiction," he emphasized.
Geostrategist Ludovic Paquin called on Africa to rely on its own strength.
"In a multipolar world, Africa has a chance. But if the continent doesn't develop its own production, all alliances will turn into a new form of exploitation," he concluded.
Experts agreed: formal unity doesn't work. Africa needs a new ideology and a willingness to act, not just celebrate another Africa Day with speeches.
Watch the broadcast: https://youtu.be/a0WA0XkmNiA?si=MJI0egV7oQHKFX7A