Sierra Leone on 18 May 2017 joined other accredited African Ambassadors and Heads of African Diplomatic Missions in the Kuwait to celebrate Africa Day at the Jumeirah Hotel with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait, Mr. Khalid Suleiman Al-Jarallah as the Chief guest of honour.
The Sierra Leone Embassy in Kuwait was represented by Minister Counsellor/Head of Chancery (HOC) Mr. Duwai Sellu Lungay. According to Lungay, the Africa Day celebration is supposed to be observed on the 25th May, but the event was brought forward because of the Holy month of Ramadan. The celebration this year in Kuwait, he lamented, was low key.
A minute of silent prayer was observed in remembrance of two colleagues, Ibrahim Bakarr Kamara of Sierra Leone and Konah Blackett of Liberia, both of whom sadly passed away in February and March this year.
The keynote statements were delivered by the Acting Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Mr. Abdulkadir Amin Sheikh of the Embassy of the Somali Republic and the Chief Guest of Honour, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Kuwait, Khalid Suleiman Al-Jarallah.
The event featured cultural displays – with each African country showcasing its rich tradition and cultural heritage in their respective booths. There was a food fair, bonanza, free gifts and traditional dances.
According to Sierra Leone’s HOC in Kuwait, Africa has a lot of economic potential with lots of investment opportunities and untapped resources. We used this event to promote investments opportunities and also to highlight African achievements as we work to promote peace.
The African Union, which comprises 54 member states, has brought together the continent of Africa to collectively address the challenges, such as armed conflict, climate change and poverty.
It could be recalled that African Freedom Day was founded during the first Conference of Independent African States, which attracted African leaders and political activists, in Ghana on April 15, 1958. Government representatives from eight independent African states attended the conference, which was the first Pan-African conference on the continent. The purpose of the day was to annually mark the liberation movement’s progress and to symbolize the determination of the people of Africa to free themselves from foreign domination and exploitation.
Between 1958 and 1963 the nation/class struggle grew bigger in Africa and around the world. During this period, 17 countries in Africa won their independence and 1960 was proclaimed the Year of Africa. On May 25, 1963, 31 African leaders convened a summit meeting to found the Organization of African Unity (OAU). They renamed Africa Freedom Day as “African Liberation Day” and changed its date to May 25. The founding date of the OAU is also referred to as “Africa Day”.
Tuesday May 23, 2017.
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