Unfinished liberation: Why Africa Day must be more than ceremony

African Union flag

As Africa marks Africa Day, the debate over reparations, governance and economic sovereignty grows sharper.

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On May 25, 1963, 32 newly independent African states gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and founded the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).

Emerging from the brutal legacies of colonialism and apartheid, the architects of Pan-Africanism understood one truth above all others: divided, Africa would remain prey to others; united, Africa could shape its own destiny.