Rwanda will tomorrow May 25 join the rest of the world in celebrating the African Liberation Day (ALD), an event held to mark the progress of the liberation movement and to symbolize the determination of African people to free themselves from foreign domination, influence and exploitation. The African liberation day (ALD) is celebrated every year and this is the first time that Rwanda will be marking it. In Rwanda, the event will be held at the University of Rwanda College of Business and Economics in Gikondo. This year’s theme is "women and youth at the forefront of African liberation”. The focus goes to women and youth given the fact that they make up 74 per cent of the world’s population, according to a document from the Pan African Movement, Rwanda Chapter, the event organizers. The African Union Summit that takes place in Rwanda in July will also focus on rights of women as theme. Speaking to The New Times yesterday, Jean Marie Vianney Gatabazi, a Member of Parliament and commissioner in charge of information and communication at PAM Rwanda Chapter, said that Rwanda will be celebrating the day for the first time since the movement was launched in Rwanda last year. He revealed that from now on, Rwanda will be celebrating the day every year. "PAM Rwanda Chapter mission is to promote the spirit of pan-Africanism among the people of Rwanda. The celebration of this day in Rwanda aims to raise awareness about Pan-Africanism and scaling up PAM activities across the country”, he said. The event will bring together members of PAM Rwanda, Civil society organizations, women and youth organizations, African ambassadors to Rwanda, among others. The African liberation day (ALD) was established on 25th May 1963 when 31 heads of state convened to founded the Organization of African Unity (OAU), now African Union (AU). The day will be celebrated at a time when African Union member states are in the process of operationalising the implementation of AU Agenda 2063 which aims to ensure the spirit of Pan-Africanism as the center of African development. It is part of the pan-Africanism vision which is total liberation and unity of Africa. The celebration of the African liberation day is also an opportunity to honor Pan-Africanism founding fathers such as Ghanain Kwame Nkrumah, Ethiopian Haile Selassie, and Thomas Sankara among others.

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