Lomé, May 22, 2023
Togo and the African Union, as part of the 2021-2031 Agenda for the “Decade of African Roots and the African Diaspora,” officially launched the 9th Pan-African Congress on Monday, May 22, 2023, in Lomé. The congress is scheduled for 2024 and is themed “Renewal of Pan-Africanism and Africa’s Role in Multilateral Institution Reform: Mobilizing Resources and Reinventing for Action.”
The launch ceremony, presided over on behalf of H.E. Faure Essozimna GNASSINGBE, President of the Republic, by H.E. Mrs. Victoire TOMEGAH-DOGBE, Prime Minister and Head of Government, was attended by members of the Togolese government, presidents of national institutions, as well as other dignitaries from the African Union, the continent, African diasporas, and Afro-descendant communities.
Speaking on behalf of the African Union Commission, H.E. Dr. Monique NSANZABAGANWA, Vice President of the Commission of the continental institution, praised the leadership of H.E. Faure Essozimna GNASSINGBE and Togo’s diplomacy regarding African diasporas. She emphasized the importance that the AU places on Pan-Africanism, the African diaspora, and Afro-descendants in its Agenda 2063. According to her, the organization of the 9th Pan-African Congress aligns with current challenges, and the African renaissance can only be achieved within the framework of a renewed Pan-Africanism adapted to our times.
In their speeches, H.E. Mrs. Naledi PANDOR, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, and H.E. Mr. Jean-Claude GAKOSSO, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Francophonie, and Congolese Abroad, respectively, lauded Togo’s Pan-African commitment. H.E. Mrs. Naledi PANDOR highlighted the contemporary significance of Pan-Africanism and her country’s determination to work alongside Togo and the AU for the success of the 9th Pan-African Congress. As for H.E. Mr. Jean-Claude GAKOSSO, he underscored the relevance of this edition of the Congress, which will bring together energies to address continental development and Africa’s representation in global governance.
The launch ceremony featured several speeches, and in her address, H.E. Mrs. Victoire TOMEGAH-DOGBE expressed gratitude to the African Union and its member states for selecting Togo to host the 9th Pan-African Congress. She noted that this event will provide a unique opportunity for Africans living on the continent and beyond (the diaspora and Afro-descendants) to contemplate their future in an increasingly unstable world marked by multiple crises and ongoing reconfiguration.
According to the Prime Minister, the current context is one of the renewal of Pan-Africanism, and the 9th Congress will not only meet the need to ensure historical continuity in the Pan-African movement but also reaffirm its indispensable importance in the collective efforts and momentum of the peoples of Africa and African diasporas for better representation of the continent in international multilateral cooperation institutions and its equitable participation in global governance.
In his address, H.E. Prof. Robert DUSSEY, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration, and Togolese Abroad, outlined the next steps in the preparations for the Lomé Congress, which will accelerate through a series of activities. These include the installation of members of the International Congress Committee, an international mobilization and communication campaign, the establishment of sub-committees responsible for thematic work, and a Pan-Africanism renewal tour in several countries on the continent and in the diasporas.
The launch ceremony follows the Decision Assembly/AU/Dec.22(XXXVI) of the AU Conference of Heads of State and Government, convened in its 36th ordinary session on February 18-19, 2023, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Through this decision, the AU requested Togo, in collaboration with the AU Commission, to organize the 9th edition of the Pan-African Congress.
The Lomé Congress in 2024 will be the 4th Pan-African Congress held on the continent, following the 6th Congress in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the 7th in Kampala, Uganda, and the 8th in Johannesburg, South Africa. The first five Pan-African Congresses were held outside of Africa, with the 1st in Paris in 1919, the 2nd in London, Brussels, and Paris, the 3rd in London and Lisbon, the 4th in New York, and the 5th in Manchester.