“Pan-Africanism Must Be About Total Liberation and Unification of Africa – Ghana’s Socialist Movement”

Story by Fada Amakye

Accra, Ghana – The General Secretary of the Socialist Movement of Ghana, Kwasi Pratt Junior, has emphasized that Pan-Africanism must be about the total liberation and unification of Africa under scientific socialism.

Speaking at a conference commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Manchester Pan-African Congress, Pratt Junior noted that the conditions imposed on Africa persist in new forms, despite African nations holding political flags of independence.

He stressed that the structures of economic domination remain, with foreign control of finance and trade, plunder of natural resources, exploitative contracts, and odious debt.

Pratt Junior invoked the memory of Kwame Nkrumah, George Padmore, and other Pan-African leaders, emphasizing that the vision of Manchester was not just to end colonial rule, but to create a self-reliant, industrialized, socially just, and united Africa.

The conference, attended by representatives of Pan-African movements, progressive parties, trade unions, and other organizations, adopted a declaration calling for complete liberation of Africa through full political and economic unification of the continent, social ownership and democratic management of Africa’s wealth, reclamation of full control of Africa’s natural resources, land, and strategic industries, continental industrialization plan prioritizing manufacturing, technology, and value-added production, agrarian revolution and food sovereignty, financial independence through creation of an African monetary system, education, science, technology, and human development, defense of the revolution through development of Africa’s military industrial capacity, and reparations and global justice for Africa and its diaspora.

Pratt Junior emphasized that the struggle for African liberation is ongoing, and that the continent must unite to challenge neo-colonialism and imperialism.

The declaration also called for the establishment of a network of Pan-African universities to train scientists, engineers, health professionals, and workers in all sectors, and for Africa to develop its own military industrial capacity to secure its sovereignty and protect itself from foreign interventions.

The conference was a call to action for Africans to take control of their destiny and work towards a brighter future. As Pratt Junior noted, “The vision of Manchester was not just to end colonial rule, but to create a self-reliant, industrialized, socially just, and united Africa.”

Key points from Pratt Junior’s speech include Pan-Africanism must be about total liberation and unification of Africa, Africa must reclaim control of its natural resources and strategic industries, continental industrialization and agrarian revolution are key to Africa’s development, Africa must develop its own military industrial capacity to secure its sovereignty, and reparations and global justice are necessary for Africa and its diaspora.

The conference was attended by delegates from across Africa and the diaspora, who expressed solidarity with the call for African unity and collective action.