25 May 2018 : The African Liberation Day!

By 1963, more than two-thirds of the continent had achieved independence. On 25 May of

that year, leaders of thirty-two independent African states met to form the Organization of

African Unity (OAU). It was during this meeting that Africa Freedom Day was declared African Liberation Day and the date of this Pan-African celebration was changed from 15 April to 25 May.

Renaming this day was an insightful restoration of the African citizen’s right to behave

according to their own will, a reminder of the peoples’ hard-fought achievement of freedom

from European colonialism, and a hopeful push for post-colonial states to have complete

agency and self-governance.

Since I963, 25 May has been celebrated as Africa Day, on #25May2018, we will be celebrating

the 55th anniversary of the African Liberation Day. Yet today, most African governments hardly

observe this celebration since their promises of Pan-African dignity and freedom might ring

hollow for many of our people across the continent.

Thierno khayar KANE, membre de l'organisation de la journée de l'Afrique organisée à travers 44 pays de l'Afrique et 10 autres pays de la diaspora avec plus de 77 activités dans la même journée.