ACC, GHANA — Eight decades after the historic 1945 Manchester Pan-African Congress, a new declaration has emerged from Accra, reaffirming Africa’s determination to reclaim its sovereignty, rebuild its economies, and restore its dignity on the world stage.
At the 80th Anniversary Commemoration Conference, delegates from across the continent and the global African diaspora gathered trade unions, youth movements, women’s organizations, farmers, cultural workers, progressive parties, and Pan-African activists calling for a unified Africa liberated from foreign domination, neocolonial exploitation, and structural dependency.
The result is a powerful document now known as the Accra Declaration, echoing the revolutionary spirit of Manchester while charting a concrete roadmap for Africa’s future.
A Legacy Continued: From Manchester 1945 to Accra 2025
In 1945, leaders such as Kwame Nkrumah, George Padmore, Amy Ashwood Garvey, W.E.B. Du Bois, Jomo Kenyatta, and many unnamed freedom fighters declared that Africa’s political freedom was inseparable from its economic liberation.
Today, delegates in Accra revisited that vision, noting that while African nations have gained political flags of independence, economic domination persists through:
- Foreign control of finance and trade
- Exploitation of natural resources
- Odious debt
- Western military presence
- Unequal global markets
The conference stressed that true sovereignty requires breaking these structural chains.
The Accra Declaration: Africa’s Roadmap to Total Liberation
Delegates adopted a bold and comprehensive set of commitments. The Accra Declaration asserts:
1. Full Political and Economic Unification of Africa
A united Africa—politically, economically, and strategically—is essential.
Africa’s wealth must be socially owned and democratically managed for all African people, including the diaspora.
2. Reclaiming Africa’s Natural Resources
The continent will reclaim full ownership of its land, minerals, oil, gas, forests, and strategic industries—rejecting all exploitative contracts that undermine sovereignty.
3. A Continental Plan for Industrialisation
Africa will now prioritize:
- Manufacturing
- Technology
- Value-added production
- A connected African infrastructure grid (rail, roads, energy, digital networks)
The goal: an Africa that produces, transforms, and exports finished goods—not raw materials.
4. Food Sovereignty and Agrarian Transformation
Agriculture must serve African populations first.
Africa will control what it grows, produces, trades, and eats.
5. Financial Independence and Monetary Sovereignty
The declaration calls for:
- An African monetary system outside foreign control
- Cancellation of illegitimate debts
- Freedom from IMF/World Bank neoliberal constraints
6. Education, Science & Technology for African Needs
Africa will create a network of universities and research institutes dedicated to:
- Engineers
- Scientists
- Medical professionals
- Cybersecurity specialists
- Industrial and agricultural experts
Education must serve African development—not external interests.
7. African Defence Capacity
Africa must secure its own future.
No foreign military presence will be tolerated.
The continent will build a unified military-industrial capacity to defend sovereignty.
8. Reparations and Global Justice
Africa and the diaspora will create a joint legal and political framework to demand:
- Reparations for slavery
- Reparations for colonialism
- Reparations for ongoing neocolonial crimes
This is not charity—it is justice.
9. A Pan-African Commitment to Global Solidarity
Africa will stand with all oppressed peoples worldwide, supporting struggles for justice, dignity, and humanity.
“The Era of African Subjugation Is Over”
The Accra Declaration concludes with a historic call to action:
“We vow to complete the Pan-African revolution begun in Manchester.
We shall build a united Africa that controls its land, labor, resources, and destiny.
The era of Africa’s economic subjugation will no longer be tolerated.”
Delegates emphasized that the next stage requires:
- Mobilizing continental and diaspora institutions
- Strengthening trade unions and youth movements
- Coordinating progressive political forces
- Rejecting foreign interference
- Building African-centered development models
The message from Accra is clear:
Africa must unite. Africa will unite. The age of Pan-African sovereignty has begun.
