Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has renewed his call for deeper Pan-African unity and inclusive development as the continent commemorates Africa Freedom Day, marking 62 years since the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity.
In a message shared on Sunday, President Hichilema emphasized the need for peace and cooperation across the continent, warning that instability in any part of Africa threatens progress as a whole.
“We must silence the guns and invest in peace,” he stated. “Instability anywhere on the continent is instability everywhere. Africa cannot afford to be divided by conflict when the dream of unity and prosperity is within reach.”
The Zambian leader paid tribute to African independence icons such as Zambia’s Kenneth Kaunda, Tanzania’s Julius Nyerere, and Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah, describing them as visionaries whose dreams of unity and self-determination must now be advanced by the continent’s current leadership.
He urged today’s African leaders to champion inclusive economic growth through transparency, sound fiscal management, and policies that create jobs and opportunities—especially for young people and women.
Calls for Financial Reform
President Hichilema also reiterated his call for reforms in the global financial system, arguing that the current structures continue to marginalize African nations.
“Africa must persist in demanding a fairer international financial system—one that no longer entrenches historical injustices but instead empowers the continent to chart its own sustainable development path,” he said.
Africa Freedom Day, observed annually on May 25, commemorates the founding of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963, the predecessor of today’s African Union.