Lomé, December 8, 2025

For centuries, our peoples have been scattered, silenced, orphaned of their own voice in the concert of nations. Yet, our peoples have resisted. They have created. They have rebuilt the world, carrying Africa in their memory, in their struggles, in their arts.

Nearly a century after the first Pan-African Congress, Africa and its diaspora find themselves once again, standing tall, united, aware of their power and their unity.

This 9th Congress comes at a time when Africa is no longer peripheral. It is no longer silent. It is young. It is strong. It is open to the world, and determined no longer to be shaped by others.

This 9th Congress is therefore not a commemoration. It is a reaffirmation. It is a

reconquest. It is a turning point. For never, never since independence, has our collective destiny been so much in our own hands. Never has our voice been so eagerly awaited. Never have our choices resonated so strongly throughout the world.

I therefore welcome you all to Lomé, a place of grounding, of memory, and of future projection. A place where Africa speaks for itself, and decides for itself, fully.

To begin this encounter with ourselves and with our future, I would like to share five observations with you.

My first observation is that pan-African renewal is a strategic necessity.

Because the world is changing, the international order is being reshaped. New centers of power are emerging.

In this moment of transformation, one reality is undeniable: no African nation can face the magnitude of contemporary challenges alone.Neither climate injustice. Nor health crises. Nor technological divides. Nor global economic competition.

Pan-Africanism is therefore no longer just an idea. It is an imperative. It is a strategy for sovereignty. It is about deciding for ourselves, based on a collective, realistic, and ambitious vision. The Pan-Africanism we are talking about here is not one of slogans. It is a pragmatic and demanding Pan-Africanism. 

A Pan-Africanism that unites our peoples, our cultures, our markets, our knowledge. A Pan-Africanism capable of acting in a world that will not wait for us.

This Congress must reaffirm a simple truth: Africa can no longer afford to be a mere spectator. Divided, it will be vulnerable. United, it will prevail.

My second observation is that reforming multilateralism is now

a requirement.

This is the other obvious conclusion that emerges from the current uncertainty of geopolitical balances: the world can no longer be governed without Africa. Today, the Global South is asserting itself. The international system was designed without us; it was conceived in a world that no longer exists. Our nations were still under colonial domination. Our people had no say in the matter.

Today, a continent of 1.4 billion inhabitants, representing 28% of UN member states and soon a quarter of humanity, still does not have a permanent seat on the Security Council. This is not an anomaly, it is an aberration.

Our continent cannot remain absent from the places where peace, trade, or global finance are decided. Since the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, Africa has held a clear position. And the representative of the African Union reiterated this: two permanent seats on the Security Council with veto power. This position is just. It is legitimate. And it must be heard.

But we must go further: we must reform the institutions, and reform within the institutions. Both are essential. Reforming the institutions means correcting governance imbalances. Reforming within the institutions means having more influence on a daily basis, in decisions, in standards, and in funding.

This Congress must therefore transform our principles into a credible and unified African action plan.

This reform of multilateralism is not merely an African demand. It is a condition for stability for the entire world.

My third observation is that our main lever for action is the mobilization of our own African resources.

Our development will not come from solutions imported from elsewhere. It will come first and foremost from ourselves: from our natural resources, our young talent, our businesses, our diasporas, our knowledge, and our cultures.

This is modern sovereignty: financing our own priorities, processing our own raw materials, modernizing our food and healthcare systems, and above all, investing in our human capital.

Mobilizing our own capital also means recognizing the value of our indigenous knowledge: our languages, our educational systems, our medical expertise, our intellectual traditions.

A strong Africa is an Africa that believes in what it knows, what it can do, and what it is.

We have the most dynamic youth in the world. We have abundant land.

We have powerful diasporas. We have creativity, energy, and innovation.

Mobilizing our capital means finally transforming this potential into power.

My fourth observation is that Africa is one and indivisible.

Pan-Africanism is global. It is present on our continent. It is present in the diaspora. It is present in our youth. The diaspora, people of African descent, and young people are the three driving forces of African renewal. Making them central actors means strengthening African unity, creativity, and power.

The diaspora and people of African descent are an immense source of knowledge, creativity, and above all, influence. They extend Africa’s presence in the world. They broaden our collective horizons.

Our youth are our greatest strategic asset. They embody innovation, digital technology, culture, the creative economy, and social struggles. They are ready, if we know how to trust them.

This Congress must reaffirm the unity of this great African family: a historical unity, a political unity, a cultural unity, and ultimately, a unity of destiny.

My fifth observation is that the foundation of our sovereignty also lies in reclaiming our narrative and our identity.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

No power has ever established itself by letting others tell its story. For centuries, the image of our continent has been fabricated outside of Africa. It has been distorted, stereotyped, and exploited.

We can no longer accept that our achievements remain invisible, that our talents are ignored, that our cultures are reduced to cliches.

Reclaiming our narrative means restoring the truth of our history. It means celebrating our victories. It means correcting colonial narratives. It means making our arts, our languages, our cultures instruments of influence.

Reclaiming our narrative also means mastering the new spaces of digital, media, and academic communication.

An Africa that controls its narrative controls its future: it is an Africa that inspires, attracts, invests, and influences.

May Lome become, this week, the place where Africa unites to act. The place where our voices gather, where our ideas rise, where our destiny becomes clear.

We don’t need to be saved as Africans. We need to be heard. And above all, we need to be united. Because a united Africa matters. A united Africa inspires. A built Africa.

Our shared vision is of a connected, inclusive, and confident Africa.

Together, we can write a new chapter in our history. A chapter of dignity.

A chapter of sovereignty. A chapter of rebirth.

With these words, I declare open the proceedings of the 9th Pan-African Congress of Lome.

God bless Africa.

Thank you.