Leone’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Dean of the African Group of Ambassadors in the UAE, Rashid Sesay, has delivered the keynote address at the 2025 Africa Day, marking the 62nd year commemoration since the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now African Union (AU).
The event was held under the Theme “Revisiting Our History, Shaping Our Future,” which sought to promote the African Union Theme of the Year: “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations,” reaffirming the African Union’s commitment to confronting historical injustices such as colonialism, the Transatlantic Slave Trade, and the entrenched inequalities that continue to shape the global world order.
Ambassador Sesay said that the Africa Day was deeply rooted in the Pan-African ideals of unity, freedom, and solidarity among African nations and peoples. He added the event was special because it reminded Africans of their collective journey towards liberation and dignity, presented an opportunity to celebrate the continent’s rich heritage and achievements, and also to reflect on the challenges that lied ahead in the pursuit of peace, justice, and progress.
The Dean also discussed Africa’s fast-growing population with an expanding middle class, and cities brimming with entrepreneurial energy, adding that when combined with its unique biodiversity, cultural richness, and vast natural landscapes, Africa offered compelling opportunities for investors and partners across a range of sectors, including agriculture and eco-tourism. He highlighted Africa’s investment opportunities and its vast mineral wealth such as lithium, cobalt, platinum, and copper, which would play a pivotal role in the global energy transition.
“Africa is a continent of immense opportunities – stability is rising, governance is improving, and reforms are deepening and flourishing and we are witnessing emerging markets. Africa offers a favourable environment for investment and long-term partnerships.”
“That is why I stand before you today, not only to celebrate Africa’s achievements, but also to invite you to become active partners in its historic transformation. It is time for us to collectively move beyond outdated narratives and see Africa for what it truly is: a vibrant, rising continent ready to shape its own destiny,” he said.
Ambassador Sesay further lauded relations between many African countries and the UAE, grounded in shared aspirations for peace, progress, and prosperity. He stated that the strategic agreements and MOUs had expanded collaboration in trade, logistics, renewable energy, governance, and cultural exchange with trade volumes between many African countries and the UAE rising and with optimism that the momentum would only accelerate in the years ahead.
The event was attended by representatives of the UAE Government, the diplomatic corps, African ‘diasporans’ and several business leaders in the UAE. The gathering was climaxed with cultural performances from various African countries, showcasing the continent’s rich culture.
Credit: Mohamed Lamin Massaquoi,
Information Attaché, United Arab Emirates
