Briefing Paper

Africa Day in the Spirit of Pan-Africanism

“Most African countries spent two generations under European colonial power. In one way or another, almost all African countries were victims of the colonial period. The effects of colonialism are still visible in the continent. Many scholars say that the current political instability, social disorder and economic crisis in Africa have their roots in the colonial period. Other scholars have reservations on this matter. Personally I share both ideas, in a sense that there are still impacts of colonial period, but not all problems can be taken as the legacy of the colonial period. Just to give an example, the current problem between Ethiopia and Eritrea is the impact of European colonial power. In the 1950s some African countries gained independence from their colonial powers. These independent countries tried to establish a specific day to be celebrated by
Africans, to create a sense of unity and solidarity. A conference of independent African States was held in April 1958 in Ghana. Including Ethiopia, the conference was
attended by eight states, and April 15 was declared as African Freedom Day. In order to
celebrate the advance of liberation movements in the continent of Africa, this day was celebrated in a few countries for five years until the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was established.”