(SenePlus) – Emma Nyerere and Samia Nkrumah, heirs to two giants of Pan-Africanism, left their mark on the opening of the Second Assembly of Pan-African Movements (AAMA) on 30 August 2024 in Accra, Ghana. Their impassioned speeches rekindled the spirit of African unity, echoing the visions of their illustrious fathers, Julius Nyerere and Kwame Nkrumah.
Emma Nyerere, daughter of the former Tanzanian president, captivated the audience by saying: “Today we stand at a crossroads. The legacy of our fathers demands that we continue their vision – that of a united Africa, free from the shackles of poverty, inequality and neo-colonialism.” Her call for a united front in the face of the continent’s challenges resonated deeply among the 1,500 activists in attendance.
Samia Nkrumah, following in the footsteps of her father, Ghana’s first president, reinforced this message of unity: “We must work together to build the Africa we want. Our diversity is our strength, and our unity is our power.” She advocated for greater political and economic integration, stressing that unity is the key to realizing Africa’s full potential.
The interventions of these two emblematic figures set the tone for the two-day event, which focused on the theme “Towards Pan-African Solidarity: Strength in numbers, weakness in division”. Their messages of hope and determination strengthened the participants, injecting new momentum into the Pan-African movement.
AAMA 2024, which brings together activists from the continent and the diaspora, addresses critical issues such as climate justice, ethical governance and expanding civic space. The calls to action issued by Nyerere and Nkrumah are seen as a rallying cry for a new generation of African leaders.
Against a backdrop of social and political tensions across the continent, the presence and speeches of Emma Nyerere and Samia Nkrumah revived hope for a united and prosperous Africa, faithful to the desires of their founding fathers.
