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President Akufo-Addo Announces Commemoration of 400th Anniversary of Transatlantic Trade in Slaves is recognition that Africans should never afford to suffer such a dehumanizing experience.
Describing the slave trade as "one of the most unfortunate and barbaric episodes in the history of mankind," he noted that nearly 12.5 million Africans, from central and western Africa, were sold as slaves and their freedoms restricted in order to force countries. theirs and created wealth for the peoples of the unknown lands to which they had been sent.
"As if that were not enough, the continent had to endure centuries of colonization by the same people as those who traded in slaves. The identity and personality of the African have been badaulted and the imprints of imperialism and colonialism woven deeply in the fabric of our lives, "he said.
While the continent commemorated the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first West African slaves in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States of America, the President said: " We have a sacred duty and a heavy responsibility to help restore the dignity and pride of the African. "
He continued: "We are a continent of about 1.3 billion people, more than the populations of Europe or the Americas; we are an enterprising, hard-working and innovative people, and we must make them worthwhile. "
President Akufo-Addo said on Monday, when he spoke at an event organized by President Uhuru Kenyatta, on the sidelines of the 32nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU), in Addis Abeba (Ethiopia).
According to the President, Ghana uses the symbolism of 2019, nicknamed "the year of return", to bring together Africans, people of African descent and all the sympathizers and lovers of freedom to strengthen the community. The task of stain on the history of Africa never recurs.
It will be recalled that Ghana launched "Year of Return" in October 2018 with its launch in Washington DC and continued with the Full Circle Festival of December 2018, which was attended by over 70 African celebrities. -americans visiting Ghana. heritage.
In the words of the president, they could see Ghana, and in fact Africa, with their own eyes, and could "eat, smell, see and carry Ghana".
The Back-2-Africa Festival, the Return to Home and Investment Summit, the African-American Investment Forum and the Pan-African Day and Emancipation Celebrations are some of the activities which will be organized to commemorate this event lasting one year.
The commemoration, said President Akufo-Addo, "should allow us, within the African Union, to consolidate and strengthen our ties with our sixth region, namely the African diaspora of the so-called" new world. ", which has remained dormant, and make operational and extend the Free Movement Protocol to people of the diaspora seeking to resettle in Africa."
In the interest of welcoming people from the continent and the diaspora to Ghana, he said that the time has come to engage more positively and to absorb consciousness and understanding of peoples' history. African.
"In Ghana, we will ensure that activities commemorating the arrival of the first African slaves in Virginia highlight the achievements, creativity, ingenuity and resilience of African people throughout the ages," he added.
The Africans, added President Akufo-Addo, "must be proud of our rich heritage, heritage of the ancient kingdoms of Benin, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kongo, Mali, from Mutapa, Songhai and Zimbabwe, as well as world-renowned centers learning from the University of Al Azhar in the 10th century and the University of Sankore in Timbuktu in the 13th century. to be African.
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