SPEECH BY SAMIA NKRUMAH ON THE OCCASION OF AFRICA DAY IN ROME ON 29 MAY 2013

 

His Excellency President Giorgio Napolitano

Honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emma Bonino

Honorable Ministers of State and Parliamentarians

Distinguished Guests and Members of the Diplomatic Core

Dear Fellow Africans and Friends of Africa

 

On behalf of our fellow Africans gathered here, I would like to express our deep gratitude to two special people in our midst. We shall never forget that President Napolitano chose to visit Ghana on his first official trip a few weeks after his election as president. President Napolitano honoured Ghana’s first President Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the foremost proponent of African Unity by laying a wreath at his tomb at the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum in Accra and planted a tree in Nkrumah’s memory. This simple yet powerful gesture strengthens our conviction that Nkrumah’s vision for an Africa united in freedom and justice can find resonance in the hearts of those who fought for the unity of Europe based on human rights and solidarity. Thank you President Napolitano!

I would also like to recall the actions of a dear friend. I have always considered Foreign Minister Emma Bonino an activist, an Italian Rosa Parks.  For years Emma has sought to make the West and Africans alike understand that there is no Africa tomorrow without human rights for her women today. Thank you Minister Bonino!

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen

Fifty years ago, independent African countries came together to consolidate their newly won freedom by committing themselves to think together, work together and organize our African economies as one unit.  

Our founding fathers and mothers envisaged an Africa united politically with its economies interlinked to improve the lives of our people. One of the main obstacles to our development was and remains the balkanization of our continent into small, economically unviable statelets. Our independence is not enough without the unity of Africa to achieve economic development.

"The independence of Ghana is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of the African continent," Kwame Nkrumah, the leading thinker on African freedom and unity, said on the eve of Ghana's independence in 1957.

Our journey towards continental integration has not been smooth. We saw some achievements along the way such as de-colonization and ending settler regimes and apartheid.

But we also went through rough patches. We hesitated between regionalism and continental planning. We argued over the fast-track or gradualist approach to integration: A United States of Africa including political and continental planning as a necessary basis for economic and social integration, or economic associations anchored on a gradualist approach to integration.

We managed to generate some excellent proposals such as the 1980 Lagos Plan of Action, with its vision of an integrated African Market by 2000, the Abuja Treaty which envisaged an African Economic Community by 2028 and the establishment of an African Economic and Monetary Union by 2023 to 2028 and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development. We have also recognized the African Diaspora as the sixth region of the continent but we are hoping to make this relationship legally binding by a constitutive act.

Notwithstanding the rebranding of our continental body in 2002 into the African Union (AU) of today, efforts at regional integration have not yet borne satisfactory results.

Today, I am revisiting our original vision for African Unity, that vision of an integrated continental planning that transcends the limitations of tinkering "with inter-territorial associations within customs union, trade agreements, inter-communications services and the like."

In Nkrumah's words, "for such tinkering does not create the decisive conditions for resolute development, since it ignores the crucial requirement of continental integration as the essential prerequisite for the most bountiful economic progress, which must be based in the widest possible extension of land and population".

Imagine an Africa in which our leaders are prepared to seriously consider ceding some powers to a supra-national body showing real commitment to the development and prosperity to citizens.

Imagine an Africa, confident and assertive, a continent free from food insecurity, rather than one that imports one-third of its grain.  We want an Africa that is making use of the economies of scale, with bigger markets more attractive to investors both local and international, a continent whose people have high purchasing power to absorb the manufactured goods of other continents. Developed countries should have a vested interest in Africa's prosperity because only with bigger markets and wealthier people can Africa absorb your goods. Only then will our continent bring opportunities  for Europe in times of crisis.

Once the average citizen of Africa can enjoy the freedom that comes with prosperity such as -  access to quality education, basic healthcare, portable water, adequate sanitation, confidence in cultural heritage, then we will be able to strengthen our institutions that deal with governance, citizens rights and public welfare. We will be better able to fight corruption and consolidate our democracy.

Our prosperity is in unity and control of our resources for the benefit of our citizens. We do not want the billions we receive from you through aid to be wasted through weak institutions but we want them to benefit the millions of young Africans who want, and have every right, to achieve something of significance.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, I want to conclude by saying something about this dear nation that is hosting this special gathering. Italy must have the courage to invest more in Africa. In Ghana, for example, in the last three years the economy grew by an average of 8 percent. The USA, UK, China and Turkey have doubled their investments in Ghana, I have no doubt it is the same for several other African countries. As we speak, there is no Italian Bank in sub-Saharan Africa with a strategy of opening up to markets of Africa. I am using this occasion to urge Italian Industrialists and bankers to be courageous, to be innovative.  Show the same courage of your visionary industrialist, Enrico Mattei, who in the 60s helped us build our infrastructure and gave opportunities to so many ordinary men and women who started a new history of development, cooperation and self-reliance. We want to see in Africa many more men and women like Enrico Mattei!

Distinguished Guests, thank you for your attention.

Long live the African Nation that must be!

Long live a strong Europe and a strong Africa!

Long live the friendship between Europe and Africa!

 

 

 

 

Allocution de Son Excellence Monsieur Kamara Dekamo Mamadou, Ambassadeur Extraordinaire et Plénipotentiaire de la République du Congo en Italie & Doyen du Corps Diplomatique Africain   A   L’occasion de la Célébration de la Journée de l’Afrique

 

 

 

                                     Rome, le  29 Mai 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

·       Excellence Monsieur le Président de la République ;

 

·       Excellence Madame la Ministre des Affaires Etrangères ;

 

·       Excellence Monsieur l’Ambassadeur Extraordinaire et Plénipotentiaire de la République Fédérale et  Démocratique d’Ethiopie, Représentant  le Président du Conseil de l’Union Africaine ;

 

·       Excellence Monsieur l’Ambassadeur Commissaire de l’Institut Italien pour l’Afrique et l’Orient (ISIAO) ;

 

·       Madame la Présidente de KWAME NKRUMAH Pan-African Center  ;

 

·       Excellences Mesdames et Messieurs les Ambassadeurs  et Chers Collègues,

 

·       Mesdames et Messieurs ;

 

·       Distingués invités.

 

       La célébration, ce 29 mai 2013, au siège du Ministère des Affaires Etrangères, de la Journée de l’Afrique qui coïncide avec le cinquantenaire de l’Union Africaine, nous amène à vous exprimer,  Monsieur le Président de la République,  toute notre gratitude de vous compter parmi nous, en dépit de votre calendrier très chargé.

 

       Excellence Monsieur le Président de la République,

 

Ce double anniversaire, marque pour l’Afrique un tournant très important de son histoire. Comme vous le savez , le 25 mai a été retenu  Journée de l’Afrique, non pas seulement pour les Africains mais aussi pour le monde entier, car l’Afrique est le berceau de l’humanité. Cette commémoration se tient  trente-neuf  jours après votre réélection en qualité de Président de la République Italienne.

 

Permettez-moi, au nom du Corps diplomatique africain près le Quirinal et en mon nom propre,  de vous adresser nos très vives et chaleureuses félicitations pour avoir accepté de rempiler votre mandat dans l’intérêt supérieur de votre beau pays, l’Italie.

 

 Nous saisissons aussi cette occasion pour exprimer notre reconnaissance, à vous et au Président du Conseil des Ministres  Monsieur Enrico LETTA, d’avoir nommé Madame Cécile KYENGE, italienne, d’origine africaine, au poste de Ministre de l’Intégration, dans votre gouvernement  et à qui nous souhaitons pleins succès dans sa délicate mission au service du peuple italien.

 

Cette nomination,  Monsieur le Président, démontre, devant l’opinion nationale et internationale, que l’Italie est un pays multiracial où il fait bon vivre.

 

 

 

 

 

Excellence Monsieur le Président de la République,

 

       L’Afrique est toujours en quête de démocratie et de bonne gouvernance.

 

Elle aspire aujourd’hui à une gouvernance fondée sur le respect de valeurs démocratiques, soucieuse du bien être, constamment inspirée par une plus grande solidarité envers les plus vulnérables.

 

Les expériences de l’Egypte, de la Tunisie et de la Libye restent à intérioriser. Nous souhaitons que tous les espoirs suscités par le printemps arabe se concrétisent pour le bien être des plus déshérités. Les balbutiements et les dérapages constatés ça et là, relèvent tout simplement de l’apprentissage de la démocratie qui nécessite  beaucoup de temps et de patience.

 

       L’Afrique au Sud du Sahara n’est pas toujours au bout de ses peines, loin s’en faut. Force est de constater que l’Architecture africaine de paix et de sécurité est loin de répondre aux soucis actuels du continent. Elle reste encore le théâtre de violents affrontements armés occasionnant de nombreuses pertes en vies humaines et en matériels.

 

Ce tableau peu réjouissant au Mali, en République Centrafricaine, en République Démocratique du Congo et en Somalie, exige de la Communauté internationale une aide soutenue. 

      

 

 

Excellence Monsieur le Président de la République ;

 

       Nous profitons de cette opportunité pour saluer l’initiative du Ministère des Affaires Etrangères, qui s’emploie à renforcer davantage ses relations avec le Corps diplomatique Africain. Déjà, dès demain 30 mai 2013, nous ouvrons cette phase de contacts par la présentation des activités du Corps Forestier de l’Etat, à Sabaudia. Il est très actif en matière de protection et de gestion de l’environnement.

 

       Par ailleurs, le Groupe des Ambassadeurs Africains près le Quirinal, est constitué pour son fonctionnement,  de quatre commissions :

 

- la Commission coopération et Développement ;

- la Commission Diplomatie et Affaires Etrangères ;

- la Commission Information et Culture ;  et 

- la Commission immigration.

 

       Ces différentes commissions sont dirigées par des Ambassadeurs pour une durée de deux (2) ans non renouvelables.

 

       C’est à travers ces commissions que les Ambassades Africaines accréditées auprès du Quirinal,  se lancent à la conquête de l’Italie profonde afin de renforcer davantage la coopération multiforme entre l’Afrique et l’Italie.

 

 

 

 

 

Excellence Monsieur le Président de la République ;

 

       Le Groupe des Ambassadeurs Africains, collectivement et individuellement,  a pris part à la Session plénière de l’Observatoire de la Pêche en Méditerranée, tenue le 8 février 2013 à Palerme en Sicile.

 

       Il a aussi participé aux travaux de la Biennale de la Démocratie tenue à Turin, du 10 au 14 avril 2013. La Cérémonie inaugurale de cette conférence a été placée sous la haute Autorité de Madame Laura BOLDRINI, Présidente de la Chambre des Députés.

 

       Nous ne saurons terminer notre propos, sans remercier le gouvernement italien qui a facilité la tenue de ce double événement et d’adresser nos chaleureuses félicitations et nos souhaits de bonne réussite, à Son Excellence Madame Emma BONINO, Ministre des Affaires Etrangères.

 

Nous adressons  aussi nos remerciements  à toutes les personnes morales et physiques qui ont contribué à la tenue et à la réussite de ce double anniversaire.

 

-       Vive l’Amitié entre l’Afrique et  l’Italie

-       Vive la Coopération internationale

-       Vive la Journée de l’Afrique.

                                                                                      

 Je vous remercie.

 

Statement of H.E. Ambassador Mulugeta Alemseged Gessese, representing H.E. Mr. Hailemariam Dessalegn, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Current Chairperson of the African Union,

On

the Occasion of the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the OAU/AU

 

 

 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of

the Republic of Italy

29^th May 2013

Rome

 

-       Excellency, Mr. Giorgio NAPOLITANO, President of the Republic of Italy;

-       Excellency, Ms. Emma BONINO, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Italy;

-       Excellency, Mr. Mamadou Kamara DEKAMO, Ambassador of the Republic of Congo and Dean of the African Diplomatic Group;

-       Excellencies;

-       Distinguished Guests;

I am highly honored to make a statement, on behalf of H.E. Mr. Hailemariam Dessalegn, Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the current Chairperson of the African Union, on this important celebration of the 50^th Anniversary of the OAU/AU.

Allow me to express first my profound gratitude to His Excellency Mr. Giorgio NAPOLITANO, President of the Republic of Italy, for his willingness to accept our invitation in-spite of his busy schedule. Your presence amongst us, Mr. President, is an honor and a witness of your attachment to the continent of Africa and its peoples.

Excellency Mr. President,

Due to time constraint, permit me to present some passages from the message of H.E. Mr. Hailemariam Dessalegn, Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the current Chairperson of the African Union on the Occasion of the Golden Jubilee Celebration of the OAU/AU. The full text is being circulated.

 On the ideals of the founding fathers when they establish the Organization of African Unity and on the achievements of the continental organization in the last 50 years, the current Chair Prime Minister Hailemariam says in his statement, "When the OAU was established in 1963, there was indeed a lot of euphoria and optimism for Africa’s rejuvenation. Those were the heady days when thirty two African States just started to enjoy their hard won freedom and independence and aspire for a better future. The OAU Charter was the expression of their collective aspirations to promote unity and solidarity amongst themselves as well as to coordinate and intensify their cooperation to achieve a better life for the peoples of Africa.

There is no doubt that the OAU played an invaluable role in the liberation of our continent and, for this, we have to pay tribute to successive generations of African leaders who have bequeathed to us a continent free from the shackles of colonialism and Apartheid. The OAU has also contributed to the process of integration in our continent and has served as a continental platform for collective action within Africa and interactions with the rest of the world."

On the challenges facing the African continent, Prime Minister Hailemariam says, "We all recognize that Africa’s aspirations for lasting peace and prosperity still remain to be realized and the vision of our Founding Fathers is yet to be fulfilled. We cannot deny the reality that internal problems related to bad governance together with the adverse external environment contributed to Africa’s current political and socio-economic problems. In the 1960s, although some east Asian countries were economically at par with the newly independent African countries, it is disheartening that they still languish in poverty and underdevelopment while the east Asian countries managed to achieve economic miracles in a span of two or three decades.

 We need to do a serious soul searching as we reflect on our past and try to chart our future in a bid to realize a peaceful, prosperous and united Africa. Previous generations have paid the ultimate sacrifice to liberate our continent from all forms of subjugation and Apartheid. It is up to the current and future generations of Africans to achieve the socio-economic emancipation of our continent."

On the future prospects of the African continent, the current Chair of African Union, Prime Minister Hailemariam, has put the following statement, "It is my earnest hope that by the time Africa once again celebrates the centenary of the OAU in 2063, we will have a continent free from the scourge of conflicts and abject poverty where many African countries will have achieved upper middle income status and the standard of living of large populations of the African people will have been significantly improved.  As previous generations were inspired by the ideals of Pan-Africanism to fight for their freedom and dignity, current and future generations should therefore be guided by the same Pan-African spirit to struggle for Africa’s socio-economic emancipation and realize the African Renaissance."   

In conclusion, I would like to thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy for organizing this Celebration of the 50^th Anniversary of the OAU/AU and the Africa Day in this beautiful and historic setting of the Ministry.          

Long Live the Unity of Africa!

Long Live African - Italian Friendship!

Thank You!