Happy Africa Day!

CAIRO – 25 May 2022: On May 25 of each year, African countries celebrate Africa Day. It is an annual celebration marking African Freedom Day in memory of the founding of the Organization of African Unity, now known as the African Union.

The idea of the first conference of independent African states came in Accra, Ghana on April 15, 1958. It was held by Prime Minister of Ghana at the time Kwame Nkrumah.

The conference hosted representatives from Egypt, which was then part of the United Arab Republic, in addition to representatives from Ethiopia, Liberia, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia, the Union of Peoples of Cameroon and the host country Ghana.

The conference presented the progress made by the liberation movements in the African continent, which symbolizes the determination of the people of Africa to be liberated from domination. The conference called for the establishment of an African Freedom Day.

Africa Day comes to celebrate the continuous progress of the liberation movement, and to symbolize the determination of the people of Africa to liberate themselves from foreign domination and exploitation.

May 25 was chosen to celebrate Africa Day because it marks the anniversary of the founding of the Organization of African Unity on May 25, 1963. On that day, 32 independent African countries signed the founding charter in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

In 2002, the Organization of African Unity became known as the African Union.