Rwanda will join the rest of the African continent in marking the 62nd African Liberation Day officially observed on May 25, with a high-level conference in Kigali expected to focus on African-led solutions to development challenges, regional integration, and the future of Pan-African cooperation. ALSO READ: The significance of celebrating Africa Liberation Day Commonly celebrated as Africa Day, the occasion traces its origins to May 25, 1963, when 32 independent African states established the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, laying the foundation for collective action toward liberation, unity, and continental solidarity. The OAU later evolved into the African Union (AU), which now drives the continent’s long-term development blueprint under Agenda 2063. This year’s celebrations are being held under the African Union theme “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.” ALSO READ: Why African Liberation Day is worth celebrating In Rwanda, the conference will take place on Sunday, May 24 and it will place emphasis on people-centered and market-driven approaches to development, with discussions expected to examine how African citizens, innovators, entrepreneurs, and regional institutions can play a stronger role in addressing water and sanitation challenges while advancing economic transformation. The discussions come at a time when access to clean water and sanitation remains a major challenge across the continent. Figures presented during a press briefing on the preparations in Kigali on Friday, May 22, show that only 39 per cent of Africa’s population had access to drinking water in 2020, while access to safely managed sanitation services stood at 27 per cent. In Eastern and Southern Africa, about 281 million people lacked access to drinking water, while 476 million people had no access to basic sanitation services. ALSO READ: Pan-Africanism: Musoni urges self-reliance over dependence Officials also noted that poor sanitation systems continue to weigh heavily on African economies, with estimates showing that sub-Saharan Africa loses nearly five percent of its Gross Domestic Product annually due to inadequate sanitation. Celebrations are intended to move conversations on Africa’s development beyond policy declarations and closer to citizens, particularly young people, women, entrepreneurs, and local communities whose livelihoods are directly affected by such challenges. The conference is also expected to explore implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), focusing on barriers slowing the realization of a unified African market, including transport limitations, weak regional value chains, barriers to trade, and limited private sector participation. For Pan-African Movement (PAM) Rwanda Chapter leaders, the broader objective goes beyond discussing policies but strengthening a mindset of African self-reliance and unity. ALSO READ: PAM Rwanda, African envoys discuss preps for Africa Day 2026 Epimaque Twagirimana, the Vice-Chairperson of PAM Rwanda, said the long-term goal remains building citizens who actively contribute to the continent’s transformation. “The goal we must reach is to build one African, one Africa, an African with dignity who has played a role in it,” he said. Twagirimana said PAM has expanded Pan-African education initiatives in schools and universities, engaging both local and international students in discussions around economics, international relations, integration, and the historical foundations of Pan-Africanism. “We want African youth to gain knowledge, to be able to solve problems in their countries, and to play a role in their countries’ solutions,” he said. According to him, more than 300 students have completed the programme in less than four years, with organizers hoping that Pan-African leadership training eventually becomes part of university education across the continent. Alphonse Muleefu, the PAM Commissioner in charge of Higher Learning Institutions and Universities, said AU’s Agenda 2063 can only be realized if Pan-Africanism remains central in shaping Africa’s future. “When you look at Africa’s Agenda 2063, it shows that it will be achieved only if Pan-Africanism plays a role in pushing it forward,” Muleefu said, noting that Africans themselves must continue driving the vision despite the absence of a clearly defined roadmap. Muleefu argued that divisions on the continent are rooted in colonial systems designed to weaken African unity for the benefit of external interests. “Just as colonizing Africa was not based on hatred but on Africa’s wealth, to access Africa’s wealth required dividing Africans,” he said. “Even afterwards, they had to keep those divisions so Africans would remain in disagreement.” He said some of the conflicts and divisions still affecting the continent today are linked to the colonial legacy, warning that Africa’s unity project will remain incomplete unless there is a deliberate effort to transform mindsets and strengthen African-centered education systems. According to Muleefu, education reform is critical because colonial education systems were designed to produce individuals who serve colonial systems rather than solve African problems. “To reach leadership that solves problems rooted in colonialism, it requires a decolonized education system,” he said, emphasizing the need to prioritize knowledge production and development models that place African interests first. Ahead of the celebrations, PAM Rwanda Chapter also organized a series of community activities aligned with this year’s theme, including support for community health insurance for more than 160 vulnerable households, road construction initiatives, and water and sanitation projects implemented in partnership with local institutions. Organizers say the activities were aimed at demonstrating how collective action and citizen participation can contribute to the aspirations of Agenda 2063 while reinforcing the values of solidarity, dignity, and shared responsibility.
