The Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, a symbol of Africa’s independence, will be the center of a historic event as President John Dramani Mahama is set to officially launch a landmark Pan-African conference, bringing together representatives from 56 countries, including leading voices from the diaspora.
The historic conference, officially opened by President Mahama, is not only symbolic but profoundly significant. His leadership as the AU Champion for Reparations embodies Africa’s collective commitment to justice, historical restitution, and the restoration of dignity to the continent and its diaspora.
A central event of the conference will be the signing of the Accra Declaration on the final day. It will send a strong message to all African people: “We have work to do.” In unity, participants will converge for a renewed solidarity, empowerment, and sustainable action for development.
The conference will feature various sessions and commissions, including a cultural segment. The cultural integration promises to be not only engaging and impactful but also a powerful expression of unity and shared heritage. The conference will feature a powerful symbolic exhibition of stolen cultural artifacts, designed to fuel the unwavering pursuit of reparations. There will also be an unveiling of a new Pan-African anthem, composed by the celebrated Ghanaian artist Amandzeba, whose music has long championed African pride, resilience, and renaissance.
In an interview, the Pan-African artist Amandzeba expressed the importance of the song and how significant it is to the continent.
“In all the music I create, Afro-centricity is at the center.It always offers me the opportunity to express how positively I feel about Africa,” Amandzeba began. He also noted that Pan-Africanism is a calling, adding, “I have always believed.”
In his concluding statements, after expressing his sincere thanks to Comrade Kwesi Pratt Jr, the Pan-African Progressive Front, and all his music colleagues who helped him with the anthem, Comrade Amandzeba posed an important question to all: “At this stage in our development and lives as Africans, what can we do to restore Africa to its former glory?”
Adding a dynamic transatlantic dimension to the celebration, acclaimed U.S. rapper and activist Noname will deliver a special performance. Her music, known for its poetic honesty and deep social consciousness, resonates with the struggles and triumphs of people of African descent worldwide. Her presence underscores the deepening ties between Africa and its diaspora, bridging generations, geographies, and experiences through art and activism.
The cultural reception is designed to impact people not as an interlude, but as an integral part of the conference’s mission, using music and performance as means of preservation for the essence of our shared history, and as tools of resistance, healing, and transformation. Through the warm rhythms, poetry, and shared songs, conference participants will join to celebrate the diversity of African identity while reaffirming a common destiny. In this way, the artistic expressions of Amandzeba, the Freedom Band, and Noname will not only inspire reflection but also renew the emotional and spiritual foundations of the struggles faced by the African people.
In a statement released ahead of the conference, the Minister of Culture, Museums and National Heritage of South Sudan noted the birth of South Sudan and the difficult years of economic depression faced by the nation and the entire African continent. She stated that it was that period which gave rise to the emergence of many Pan-African organizations. Hon. Dr. Nadia mentioned the importance of this conference and tagged the 5th Pan-African Congress as “the Congress which demanded an end to colonial rule and racial discrimination, as well as the recognition of human rights and equality of economic opportunity for all peoples of African descent.”
In her closing remarks, she wrote a message to African leaders, saying, “Togetherness and cooperation are powerful, leading to greater strength and success. Working through differences: true unity doesn’t mean sameness, but rather finding strength and beauty in diverse perspectives.” - Hon. Dr. Nadia Arop Dudi, Minister of Culture, Museums and National Heritage.
The forthcoming Accra Declaration will stand as a bold renewal of Africa’s readiness to define its own path—a path that no longer asks for recognition or permission, but asserts the continent’s rightful place as a leader in shaping a just and inclusive world. The Accra Declaration is inspired by a well-crafted 20-point political and economic framework, a concise yet powerful framework designed to shape Africa’s development trajectory for the decades ahead.
In 1945, the spirit of Pan-Africanism ignited in Manchester, giving a generation the vision and courage to challenge the injustice of colonial rule and to demand freedom for all African peoples. That significant moment inspired movements that reshaped the continent, birthing new nations and rekindling pride in African identity.
In 2025, as the torch returns to Accra for Manchester 2.0, a new generation gathers, not merely to remember the past, but to renew its mission. Today, the struggle has evolved. The chains of colonialism may have been broken, but the structures of neo-colonialism, economic dependency, and cultural domination still linger. This conference aims to re-ignite the spirits in Africans who are willing and capable of dismantling those invisible barriers and building a truly sovereign, united, and self-determined Africa.
If the call of 1945 at the 5th Pan-African Congress (Manchester) was for Independence, then the call of 2025 is for Unity, Justice, and Power. The defining struggle of our time is about reparations, economic independence, environmental justice, and the reclamation of Africa’s total liberation.
As delegates from the USA, Venezuela, Cuba, France, Colombia, and Guadeloupe join their counterparts from across Africa at this conference hosted by the Pan-African Progressive Front, the gathering becomes more than just a conference. It becomes a movement, one that extends an open invitation to all people around the world who believe in the struggle, resilience, and aspirations of the African people. In this light, the entire opening ceremony will be broadcast live on Pan-African Television, allowing millions across the continent and the diaspora to witness this new chapter in Africa’s journey toward unity and justice.
Together, we stand in solidarity, bearing witness to, and shaping, the new chapter of African history unfolding in Accra this November.
