African Union Marks Anniversary with Call for Unity

African Union Marks Anniversary with Call for Unity

Addis Ababa, May 25, 2025 — The African Union (AU) today commemorated the 61st anniversary of the formation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), paying tribute to the founders of Pan-Africanism and renewing calls for unity, self-reliance, and strategic engagement on the global stage.

In a statement marking Africa Day, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission underscored the continent’s growing global relevance and the need for Africans to take ownership of their development agenda.

“Our continent can no longer be ignored,” the Chairperson declared. “Its membership to the G20 is not only a well-deserved participation but it is indeed a global recognition of the importance of Africa.”

He highlighted Africa’s immense natural wealth, strategic potential, and emerging markets as pillars of its rightful place in world affairs. “There is no doubt that Africa’s potential, mineral resources, arable lands and industrial capacity are to be accounted for,” he said. “It is our responsibility as Africans, to protect these resources, for the sake of present and future generations.”

The Chairperson emphasized the importance of adding value to Africa’s resources and strengthening intra-African trade. “It is our member countries’ primary duty to develop a viable value chain on the continent through value addition transformation processes,” he said, praising the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as “the market destined to absorb African goods.”

While acknowledging Africa’s rising profile, the AU leader also warned against complacency, criticizing global power structures that often marginalize the continent. “We all know that international geopolitics is conducted at the expense of our continent; influential global powers do not give a proper attention to our continent’s ambition.”

In response, he urged African nations to stand firm in asserting their collective interests: “It is up to us Africans, to assert our values, reaffirm our convictions and gain the respect of all nations by our capacity to weigh on the global arena.”

Reflecting on the founding of the OAU in 1963, he paid homage to Africa’s liberation pioneers and visionaries. “Pan-Africanism was built by our forefathers not only on the basis of legitimate aspirations of our peoples but more broadly on a number of strategic goals that are the reflection of critical thinking for the future of this continent and its peoples,” he concluded.

The commemoration comes at a time when the African Union is pushing for deeper integration, sustainable development, and reform of international governance institutions to better reflect Africa’s voice.