Commemoration of 60th anniversary of founding of African Union

Asmara, 27 May 2023 – The commemoration event of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the African Union was organized on 26 May at Asmara Palace Hotel in the presence of Ministers, senior Government, and PFDJ officials as well as members of the Diplomatic community.

In his keynote speech at the occasion, Mr. Osman Saleh, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said that the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the African Union makes it special for it is being celebrated two days after the colorful celebration of the 32nd Independence Day anniversary of Eritrea.

Minister Osman went on to say that while our diversity should have been our strength, the scramble for Africa at the beginning of 1884 was used to divide and conquer Africa by drawing up artificial boundaries along the lines of tribes and ethnicity.

Minister Osman stressed that the greatest harm Africans suffered under colonialism was not the slave trade or subsequent humiliation, but the disruption of their social values, the disturbance of their tradition, and the demolition of their village government, said that all the internal conflicts, tribal wars, border wars, corruption, and mismanagement that have almost ruined Africa have their roots in the blunders committed by colonialism and the new world order that prevailed at the end of the Second World War.

Noting that presently the old power order is shifting right in front of our eyes, Minister Osman said that our role as Africans should not be to sit back and ‘hope’ the next prevailing world order will be in our favor but we should be active participants in the change that is happening around us.

In his concluding remark, Minister Osman said that our motto should be “African Vision for Unity through Prosperity, Peace and Modernity for a Better Africa and a Better World”.

The event was highlighted by cultural and artistic programs.