December 12, 2025
Ladies and Gentlemen, Presidents of the Institutions of the Republic,
Ladies and Gentlemen, Ministers,
Honorable Members of Parliament and Senators,
Your Excellencies, Ambassadors,
Heads of Diplomatic and Consular Missions and Representatives of International Organizations,
Mr. Amr Aljowaily, Representative of the African Union,
Ladies and Gentlemen, Representatives of Afro-descendant Associations and the Diaspora,
Representatives of the Ministers of Culture of Brazil,
Senior Officers of the Togolese Armed Forces,
Venerable Traditional Chiefs,
Distinguished Guests,
Dear Brothers and Sisters of Africa and the Diaspora.
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The 9th Pan-African Congress, held in Lomé from December 8 to 12, 2025, brought together brilliant minds and visionary leaders from across our continent and beyond. On behalf of His Excellency Mr. Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, President of the Council, whom I have the honor to represent, I wish to express my profound gratitude to each and every one of you for your determined and committed presence.
Your valuable contributions have been the cornerstone of the success of this essential gathering.
” The end of our work is not an end:
it is a new beginning. “
We leave Lomé with a clear vision of the paths to follow for a reinvented, proud, and respected Africa.
Let us not be modest: the successful holding of this Congress is the fruit of our unity, our courage, and our determination.
” Yes, together we dreamed it,
together we made it happen,
together we succeeded. “
More than a decade after the 8th edition, we have managed to revisit our bond and our belonging to our beloved Africa, rediscover our roots, and propose solutions to the structural obstacles that hinder our progress.
During five days of intense work, you have thought, analyzed, proposed, amended, and innovated. Your minds have united to trace the contours of a new Africa:
▸ proud of its identity,
▸ strong in its resolve,
▸ determined to fully assert itself in global governance.
The discussions have been lively, intense, passionate, serious, and uncompromising. They demonstrate your determination to place this 9th Congress under the seal of action and African awakening.
What you have accomplished here goes far beyond the walls of this Convention Center: it is the gesture of a continent that asserts itself, inspires, and shines.
📖 RECLAIMING THE NARRATIVE
” No power has ever been able to assert itself
by letting others tell its story. “
For centuries, the image of our continent has been fabricated outside of Africa, distorted, stereotyped, and instrumentalized.
We can no longer accept that our successes remain invisible, that our talents are ignored, that our cultures are reduced to clichés.
This Congress reaffirms a simple truth:
” Divided, Africa is vulnerable;
united, it is strong. “
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📅 STRUCTURING STRATEGY
The organization of the 9th Congress is neither a coincidence, nor an improvisation, nor a simple prestige event. It is part of the 2021–2031 Decade of African Roots and the Diaspora, a vast program that our country has been championing for ten years.
This program calls upon us to:
1. promote African identity,
2. create bridges of inclusion and solidarity,
3. strengthen ties between Africa, the diaspora, and Afro-descendants.
This Congress is therefore not an isolated event; it is a decisive step in a chain of coherent actions and structuring projects in service of the African cause.
📜 IMMEDIATE IMPLEMENTATION
The fervent wish of the President of the Council is clear: that the resolutions adopted in the Final Declaration be implemented starting today, with the involvement of all Africans, diasporas, and Afro-descendants.
I note with optimism:
✓ a realistic diagnosis of the functioning of multilateral institutions,
✓ concrete proposals to reform them,
✓ the necessity for Africa to master its economic and social development,
✓ significant progress in reflections on reparations and the restitution of cultural heritage.
Your recommendations complement those of other forums and constitute a solid foundation for the urgent actions to be undertaken.
👥 INCLUSIVE SPACE
This Congress has also been a space where:
▸ African youth was able to express itself fully,
▸ Pan-Africanism has integrated feminist perspectives,
▸ African women — hardworking, courageous, resilient — have been recognized as structuring forces of the continent.
🙏 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank the African Union Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Togo, the delegations, speakers, panelists, experts, and especially you, dear participants, for your commitment.
Togo is honored to have hosted this historic moment, which strengthens and renews Pan-Africanism.
We invite you, before your departure, to enjoy the tourist visits and the Pan-African concert scheduled right here.
Remember the words of the President of the Council
” An Africa that masters its history
masters its future. “
An Africa that inspires, attracts, invests, and influences.
On behalf of His Excellency the President of the Council,
” I hereby officially declare closed the proceedings
of the 9th Pan-African Congress. “
Thank you.