Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has renewed calls for Pan-African unity and inclusive development, urging African leaders to silence the guns and invest in peace, as the continent marked 62 years since the founding of the Organization of African Unity.
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema on Sunday marked Africa Freedom Day in other words, Africa Day with a renewed call for Pan-African unity, inclusive development, and peace across the continent, as Africa commemorated 62 years since the founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU).
In a statement shared on social media, President Hichilema urged African nations to “silence the guns and invest in peace,” warning that instability in any one country threatens the security and progress of the entire continent.
“Africa cannot afford to be divided by conflict when the dream of unity and prosperity is within reach,” he said.
Paying homage to the continent’s independence-era icons — Zambia’s Kenneth Kaunda, Tanzania’s Julius Nyerere, and Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah — Hichilema called on today’s leaders to advance their vision through transparent governance and inclusive economic growth.
“The current generation of African leaders must rise to the occasion,” he said, emphasizing the importance of creating opportunities for youth and women, whom he described as “the backbone of our continent’s future.”
The Zambian leader also called for urgent reform of global financial institutions, which he said continue to marginalize African nations. “The continent must continue advocating for a more equitable international financial architecture,” Hichilema added.
Africa Freedom Day commemorates the May 25, 1963 establishment of the OAU, now the African Union, a milestone in the continent’s pursuit of political and economic self-determination.
