Ouagadougou Conference reclaims pan-africanism as a tool for action and sovereignty
The conference on Pan-Africanism and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), held in Ouagadougou with Afro-descendants from around the world, marked a historic moment of refoundation. It was not merely about recalling facts, honoring figures, or sharing cultural heritage.
What unfolded was a far deeper movement: the reaffirmation of a living link between continental Africa and its diaspora, and the redefinition of a collective strategy for the future.
The stakes involved not just memory, but the conscious continuation, carrying forward, and reactivation of history.
The meeting established a fundamental principle: Africa can no longer be content to remember. It must act. To remember without acting is to allow history to repeat itself. To remember while acting is to transform memory into sovereign power.
Thus, the diaspora was not called to “observe” Africa, but to retake its place in the battle for its dignity, unity, and development.
The skills, experiences, resources, and networks of Afro-descendants are not external contributions; they are an integral part of Africa’s strength.
The AES dynamic fits precisely into this logic of action. Unlike older Pan-Africanist frameworks often limited to discourse, the Alliance of Sahel States represents a real, institutionalized, and strategic political architecture.
It is not a dream; it is a tool. It is not a slogan; it is an organization. It does not speak of unity; it practices it in the fields of defense, economy, education, security, and geopolitical vision.
The inaugural lecture, delivered by the President of the National Commission for the AES, Bassolma Bazié, rigorously recalled that Africa was dispossessed of its lands, resources, and reference points not only by force, but by the rupture of cultural, social, and political continuities.
Therefore, the reconquest is not just a matter of territory: it is a reconquest of self. The concept of Faranifa,the African motherland; calls for protecting Africa, its leaders, and its destiny through conscious solidarity and organized action.
This moment marks a step: Africa is not returning to its past. It is resuming its path. And it is doing so standing tall, united, and sovereign.
Maurice K. ZONGO
