‘Afrika’ week and the paradox of  pan-‘Afrikanism’

Granting mild hope last weekend, I was in a panel with my OB Felix Kulayigye on NXTRadio to discuss the ‘biggest’ event of the new season, the ‘selections’ of Speaker/Deputy Speaker when to his credit, Brig Kulayigye had deliberately attempted to give mention of Afrika Liberation day. Still, I knew it would pass ‘peacefully’ and without serious mention and, it did. 

Afrikan liberation should truly be traced from the consciousness – ironically – of the Diaspora Afrika’s first pan-Afrikan conference in 1900 held in London then the first Pan-Afrikan Congress (PAC) in 1919, held in Paris; credits Dr W.E.B Du Bois and Ida Gibbs Hunt.

The early drive was demand for self-rule for Mother Afrika, an end to colonialism and, the demand that Afrikans at home and the Diaspora be treated equally and fairly. 

The impactful experience of imperialism had perfected for instance, despite the gallant and heroic roles played by Afrika and soldiers of Afrikan descent in ending World War I, they had been classically excluded from the 1919 Treaty-of-Versailles, the global peace treaty that saw the end of the war. Then, Afrikan servicemen and indeed, progressive Whites – mainly exposed urban – took a stand.

By the time of the 5th PAC, now held in Manchester in October 1945, events had moved on and significantly, this was shortly after the end of the World War II and now, Afrikan presence was apparent with Jomo Kenyatta, Hastings Banda, Obafemi Awolowo, Peter Abrahams (Azania) and Kwame Nkrumah in attendance, among others. 

Three became first leaders of their independent nations but also, three Afrikan national-flags flew: Ethiopia, Liberia and the Republic of Haiti, being the only nations under ‘self-rule’ at the time.

Key issues varied from racism in Britain, the plight of mixed-race children, apartheid in Southern Afrika, White-settler-land questions in Kenya, demand for total independence by Caribbean-Afrika and Mother-Afrika in the face of exploitation, discrimination and economic and social marginalisation of Afrikan peoples around the globe.

It is not surprising that when the Organisation of Afrikan Unity (OAU) was founded in May 1963, at the centre was Kwame Nkrumah now with Milton Obote among others, the two (particularly) rather robust in their demands for Afrikan liberation and unity went on to play key roles in both fronts.  

While Nkrumah famously said no Afrikan country can claim independence until the whole of Afrika is free and independent and he paid for it with an imperialist-backed coup, Obote became the official spokesperson of Southern Afrikan liberation (and Congo after Lumumba) and he too paid with a double coup yet, it is 58 years this week and instead, silence marked the day at Kampala; what a shame.

But lest you forget, the guys in town did not make noise nor open-merry because they were busy installing ‘voices-of-interests’ at Parliament. Their credentials on pan-Afrikanism are wanting and froth; otherwise, no pan-Afrikanist would any longer invade nor conquer another on behalf of imperialists. 

None would revel at exiling fellow-Afrikans ‘back’ to where the Garveys found themselves yet, has the audacity to question Afrika’s centre-of-gravity after all.

The writer is former columnist with New African Magazine 
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