African Diaspora: Addis Ababa Declaration

“It is clear that we must find an African solution to our problems, and this can only be found in African unity. Divided we are weak; united, Africa could become one of the greatest forces for good in the world.”

― Kwame Nkrumah,

Back from the historic five-day Addis Ababa African Union and African Diaspora Global Roots Synergy Roundtable Summit that took place 23rd – 28th May, 2022, delegated representatives from civil societies, scholars, governments, African Union, African Diaspora and many more from across the globe – Africa, Australia/Asia/Oceanic, USA and Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, South (including Brazil), Central America and the Middle East, gathered together with the vision and goal of stepping up action plan for the historic adoption of the 2012 Declaration Of The Global African Diaspora Summit (DGADS). The Roundtable Global Pan African Summit was to mark the 10th anniversary of the Adoption of the African Union African Diaspora Declaration. The theme of the summit: “Evaluating the Success of the Diaspora Declaration, and Laying out Clear, Decisive, Actionable, and Attainable Path Forward to Repatriation.”

The historical feat of the African Union – African Diaspora dated back a decade ago, 2012 when the Heads of State, Governments and Representatives of the African Union (AU), the West Indies, Latin America, South America and various representatives from the African Diaspora met during the Global African Diaspora Summit in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa and witnessed the historic adoption of the Declaration Of The Global African Diaspora Summit (DGADS 2012) which included a commitment to enable the African Diaspora to increase their participation in the affairs of the AU as observers and eventually as a Sixth Region of the African Continent which substantially contributed to the implementation of policies and programmes.

The choice of 25th of May 2022, for the roundtable conference therefore, is not just a coincidence, but a calculated bid by interested Pan Africanists to commemorate the historic day and event of May 25th, 2012, which is now globally recognised as Africa Liberation Day. The Addis Ababa African Union – African Diaspora Summit therefore marked the tenth year anniversary.

Arising from the Global Pan African Roots Synergy Roundtable (GPARSR), the delegates harped on matters ranging from political, economic, social, geographical and cultural issues as they relate to the well-being of African continent and diaspora; premising it on recognizing and acknowledging the supports critical agencies of the body. These include Africa Union Commission and its roles in the implementation of the for the DGADS, 2012; Citizens and Diaspora Directorate (CIDO), which facilitated full participation of African Diaspora as key to building Africa; the Economic Social and Cultural (ECOSOCC), acting as an advisory role and connecting African governments to the Union; the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR), to protect, promotes people’s rights and interpret the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights; etc.

Representatives also recalled the urgent need to redefine the decision of the AU Executive Council under EX.CL/Dec.406(xii) to adopt the current definition of “African Diaspora” which does not only mean of Africans living outside of the continent, but to “consist of people of African origin who are the historic diaspora, the descendants of African displaced by trans Atlantic and Arab Slave Trades and further includes modern migratory Africa, all of whom are all living outside the continent irrespective of their current citizenship and nationality.”

The re unification of Africans on the continent and those in diaspora by consolidating the links with the diaspora especially the Africa Diaspora organizations in Brazil and the Caribbean for technical cooperation in culture, economy , politics, etc; were highly impressed on.

The Sixth Region Diaspora Caucus (SRDC) of the Global Pan African Roots Synergy Roundtable Summit at Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, and now captioned “The Addis Ababa Declaration 2022” has come and gone, but the sweet memories and hopes of what it stands to gain – a united African Diaspora front in the interest of the African continent is an endless possibility. It is noteworthy to mention but a few whose immense contributions to the huge success of the summit can never be over emphasized. The Delegates, Speakers, Panelists, Representatives and Working Group Moderators, etc,; are all to be appreciated.

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