President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, former President of Ghana, John Kufuor and Congolese opposition leader, Martin Fayulu, have called for the creation of a continental mechanism to protect Africa’s sovereignty.
The leaders are speaking at the International Conference of Progressive Pan-African Forces themed: ‘From Historical Memory to Economic and Political Justice,’ in Accra, Ghana.
The event, marking the 80th anniversary of the legendary Fifth Pan-African Congress held in Manchester in 1945, enables more than 200 delegates from 57 countries across Africa, the Caribbean and the global diaspora to discuss concrete mechanisms for full compensation for centuries of colonial exploitation.
Others present are General Secretary of South Africa’s largest trade union NUMSA Irvin Jim, leader of Zambia’s Socialist Party Fred M’membe, and United States Chargé d’Affaires in Ghana, Rolf Olson.
The leaders are demanding reparations for centuries of plunder, genuine economic independence, the fight against neocolonialism, the return of stolen cultural artifacts (a special exhibition of looted treasures is running alongside the conference) and the creation of a continental mechanism to protect sovereignty.
The outcome of the event will be the adoption of the Accra Declaration – a unified programmatic document that will turn Kwame Nkrumah’s words “Ghana’s independence is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of Africa” into a real action plan.
