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United News of India
21 hours ago
- Politics
- United News of India
PM Modi pays homage at mausoleum of Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's founding president
Accra/New Delhi, July 3 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paid homage at the mausoleum of Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's founding president and a revered leader of the African independence movement, in Modi said in a post on X: 'In Accra, paid homage to Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. He was a visionary statesman whose thoughts and ideals guide several people. He devoted himself towards the well-being of people of Ghana.'The MEA spokesperson said in a post: 'Honouring Dr. Kwame Nkrumah's lasting contributions to freedom, unity and social justice.'PM @narendramodi accompanied by Vice President Prof. @NJOAgyemang visited the Nkrumah Mausoleum in Accra, Ghana. PM paid tribute to Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's founding President and a revered leader of the African independence movement.'Kwame Nkrumah was a prominent Pan-African organizer whose radical vision and bold leadership helped lead Ghana to independence in 1957. Kwame Nkrumah was the first prime minister of Ghana (former British Gold Coast colony and British Togoland) at independence in 1957. He later became the first president of Ghana as a Republic in 1960. In 1960, Nkrumah became Ghana's first president as a republic, and by 1961, he nationalized the major agricultural export trade of the country – the cocoa trade. He focused on industrialization, introduced socialist policies, and was instrumental in establishing the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in 1963, in an attempt to foster the unity of the African continent. Nkrumah also prioritized education. Nkrumah is widely remembered and celebrated as an iconic symbol and pioneer of the Pan-African struggles for the liberation of Africa. Nkrumah served as an inspiration to Martin Luther King, who often looked to Nkrumah's leadership as an example of nonviolent activism. UNI RN
Al-Ahram Weekly
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Russia seeks expanding traditional, friendly relations with African partners: Putin - Africa
Russian President Vladimir Putin has reiterated Moscow's commitment to strengthening its 'traditional friendly relations' with African nations, highlighting the importance of cooperation amid ongoing global challenges. Speaking on Africa Day, which falls on 25 May, Putin pointed to the Russia-Africa summits held in 2019 and 2023 as milestones that shaped new directions for bilateral cooperation and international coordination. Africa Day, which marks the day the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was founded in 1963, is observed across the continent and globally to commemorate African unity and liberation struggles. The African Union (AU) replaced the OAU on 25 May 2002. 'This year marks significant anniversaries — including 80 years since the end of World War II and the founding of the United Nations, as well as 65 years since the UN Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples,' Putin said in a statement. 'The defeat of Nazism and the collapse of colonialism were pivotal moments that allowed for the peaceful development of all humanity.' He praised African countries for their growing influence on the global stage, citing achievements in economic and social development and the role of regional organizations like the African Union in promoting stability. Looking ahead, Putin confirmed that the next Russia-Africa Summit, to be held later this year in an African nation, will continue the partnership dialogue begun in previous summits. 'I am confident that through joint efforts, we will continue to deepen these multifaceted ties, benefiting our peoples and advancing a multipolar world order based on justice and democracy,' he added. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
IOL News
25-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Little to celebrate as conflicts overshadows continental progress
Ghana's founder and first President Kwame Nkrumah (left) and Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie (centre) at the formation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on May 25, 1963. The formation of the OAU is celebrated as Africa Day. Image: AFP Dr Sizo Nkala The occasion of the 62nd anniversary of the birth of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the adoption of the OAU Charter in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, provides an opportunity to reflect and introspect. Probing how and why Africa has dismally failed to live up to the promises of the OAU Charter six decades after its proclamation is a pertinent undertaking. Africa remains trapped in the neocolonial structures of the global political economy that continue to undermine the continent's development potential. The continent is struggling to shake off the colonial legacy of occupying a dependent and very vulnerable position in the global economy. Between 2 and 3 per cent, Africa's share of the world trade is disappointingly paltry despite its population making up 17 per cent of the global population. The content and quality of this trade are even more problematic as over 75 per cent of Africa's exports to the world are primary commodities like oil, coal, chrome, platinum, cocoa, cotton and tobacco to mention a few of which are exported in raw and unprocessed states. The trade model that was imposed on Africa in the colonial era remains intact. These trade dynamics reflect the failure to move from commodity and agro-based to industrialized and diversified economies. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 83 per cent of African countries are dependent on the extraction and export of commodities. In Angola, South Sudan, and Nigeria, oil accounts for 95 percent, 92 percent and 80 percent of the export revenues respectively. Botswana, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) minerals make up between 70 and 99 percent of the countries' export revenues. Further, more than any other region in the world, the share of the agricultural sector in Africa's gross domestic product (GDP) stands at 35 per cent and supports the livelihoods of 50 per cent of the population. Even then productivity is still very low with the continent still spending a staggering US$50 billion annually in food imports. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ The share of the manufacturing sector in Africa's GDP decreased from 18 per cent in 2000 to 13 per cent currently – reflecting failed transformation and industrialization efforts. The lack of industrialization, coupled with infrastructure deficiencies, has severely limited the potential of intra-African trade which still stands at a paltry 15 percent. The unsustainable structure of many African economies has exposed African countries to global commodity price fluctuations which have precipitated a devastating debt crisis with 21 African countries being classified as being at risk of or in debt distress. Many countries now spend more of their revenues on servicing debt than on essential public services such as education, health, and water and sanitation. It is no wonder that Africa has the embarrassing opprobrium of being the poverty capital of the world with over 400 million of its people living in conditions of extreme poverty. As such, we commemorate the 62nd anniversary of the OAU under conditions of continued economic servitude and exploitation. Further, 62 years of political independence has done little to end Africa's marginalization in global governance institutions. The continent still has no permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and its calls for inclusion in the UN's most powerful organ have gone unheeded for decades. Thus, despite being home to over 30 armed conflicts, Africa has a limited say in the body that makes decisions on global security. Africa's 54 states share a total of 6.5 percent of the voting rights in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and only 11 percent of voting shares in the World Bank. This means that African countries exercise limited influence in the decisions of the institutions that determine the direction of the global economic policy. Even in the World Trade Organization (WTO) which formally uses a one country one vote system, decisions are often imposed by big economies at the expense of smaller ones. Moreover, because of perceptions and actual conditions on the ground in Africa, the continent attracts only 3-5 per cent of foreign direct investment (FDI) which is not nearly enough to stimulate the required levels of economic growth. As such, although Africa is slowly discovering its agency on the international stage, its independence and autonomy remain compromised by its economic weaknesses. The continent has not fared any better politically. In recent years we have witnessed the erosion of democratic institutions and the increasing frequency of military and constitutional coups. The raging conflicts in Sudan, South Sudan, the DRC, Mozambique and the Central African Republic (CAR) have killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions with continental institutions like the AU seemingly hapless to do anything. While the continental body has been 62 years in the making, it is still largely weak and ineffectual in addressing the challenges facing African people. As such, the occasion of the 62nd anniversary of the OAU brings little to celebrate. Africa urgently needs visionary and effective leaders who will confront the challenges facing the continent head-on. * Dr. Sizo Nkala is a Research Fellow at the University of Johannesburg's Centre for Africa-China Studies. ** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL, Independent Media or The African.
Egypt Today
22-05-2025
- Business
- Egypt Today
Cairo International Airport launches sustainable routes for African Union citizens
FILE— Cairo International Airport CAIRO – 22 May 2025: In celebration of Africa Day, observed annually on May 25 to mark the founding of the Organization of African Unity, Egypt's Cairo International Airport has launched sustainable travel routes for citizens of the African Union (AU) member states. The initiative aims to enhance travel facilitation and reflects Egypt's commitment to strengthening ties with its African neighbors. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration, and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs Badr Abdelatty delegated Ambassador Ihab Awad, assistant foreign minister for African affairs, to participate in the ceremony held May 22 at Cairo International Airport. The ceremony was attended by a number of African ambassadors accredited to Cairo, as well as officials from the ministries of civil aviation and interior. Assistant Foreign Minister for African Affairs Ihab Awad affirmed that this initiative comes within the framework of the Egyptian government's efforts to respond to the steady increase in African visitors to Egypt, facilitating their entry and providing them with a warm welcome at Cairo Airport. The dedicated sustainable routes come among a range of measures that are currently being implemented across state institutions to reinforce Egypt's African orientation and expand regional integration on the continent, Awad added.
IOL News
16-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Africa Month: Pan-Africanism Doublespeak Retarding Continent's Progress
Ghana's founder and first President Kwame Nkrumah (left) and Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie (centre) at the formation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on May 25, 1963. The formation of the OAU is celebrated as Africa Day. Dr. Reneva Fourie EVERY year on May 25, we celebrate Africa Day. It commemorates the founding of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963, a moment born from the fires of anti-colonial struggle and lit by a bold vision of a united, free and sovereign continent. In 2002, the organisation was reconstituted as the African Union, intended to carry the dream of Pan-Africanism into a new era. But over sixty years since the OAU's founding, the promise of liberation remains painfully unfulfilled. Africa is not yet free. Not in the way Patrice Lumumba imagined when he spoke of a Congo governed by its people. Not in the way Kwame Nkrumah envisioned when he declared that political independence was meaningless without economic emancipation. It is not yet Uhuru. Independence, in much of Africa, was cosmetic. The colonial flags came down, but a more insidious form of domination rose in their place. The colonisers changed uniforms, adopted new languages of diplomacy, development and aid, and returned through the back door of our treasuries, parliaments and boardrooms. Neocolonialism has become our daily reality. Despite African exports amounting to billions of US dollars, much of that wealth bypasses the continent. Mineral-rich countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, which supplies over the vast majority of the world's cobalt, remain trapped in poverty while multinationals profit from electric vehicle revolutions elsewhere. Oil flows from Nigeria and Angola fuel foreign industries, while power cuts paralyse local economies. Coffee and cocoa leave African farms to be branded and sold at ten times the price abroad. The chains have not been broken. They have only been polished. Economic dependency is matched by political manipulation. The International Monetary Fund and World Bank, dominated by Western interests, continue to shape our economic policies through conditional lending. Countries are told what to privatise, which subsidies to cut, and how to manage their fiscal budgets. The so-called structural adjustment programmes of the 1980s and 1990s devastated social services, dismantled local industries, and deepened inequality. Today, neocolonial manifestations are more subtle, but the outcomes remain the same. Sovereignty is traded for survival. And when an African leader dares to walk a different path and to speak with independence, they are swiftly punished. Consider the case of Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso, who was murdered in 1987 after nationalising land and rejecting foreign aid. Or Muammar Gaddafi, whose push for a gold-backed African currency threatened Western financial interests before he was toppled in a NATO-backed intervention. More recently, leaders who defy global consensus on trade or security are isolated, sanctioned or unseated. Africa is told who to trust, who to trade with, and who to elect. Democracy is praised when it aligns with foreign interests, and questioned when it produces inconvenient results. The role of foreign military presence in Africa cannot be ignored. The United States operates AFRICOM, a military command with operations in over 30 African countries. France maintains troops across the Sahel, even after public protests against its influence. The continent is courted, yes, but rarely as an equal. We are treated as territory to be won, not as a people to be respected. While China builds infrastructure, often with little skills transfer and compliance with local labour laws, and Russia assists African leaders with arms and mercenaries, their mutually beneficial interventions cannot be equated with neocolonialism.
