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Queuing The Century of Prosperity

LOME, TOGO – December 15, 2025 – The Pan-African Council is honored to have contributed to the 9th Pan-African Congress hosted by the Republic of Togo and the African Union, 125 years after the inaugural summons in London. To witness the closing of one historical epoch and the violent birth of another during this timely and momentous occasion, represents a fundamental turning point in the dialogue of human development. The world is witnessing the dissolution of old hegemonies and the emergence of a new economic paradigm, where Africa’s role on the global stage is finally being defined not by its capacity to endure history, but by its undeniable power to shape it.

During the Congress, Council Chairman Fabien Anthony offered a 4-pillar, Pragmatic Pan-African Action Plan for a Multipolar World in his plenary discourse to nudge Global Africa in the right direction, this included:

1. Defining African rejuvenation from struggle to sovereignty:
   This is an act of reclaiming narrative and demanding agency. It requires moving conceptually from the historical necessity of struggle to the imperative of sovereignty. The 21st century must, therefore, be unequivocally declared Africa’s Century of Prosperity—a designation that mandates a profound ideological and policy shift. This means replacing the limiting discourse of poverty reduction with the proactive ambition of comprehensive wealth creation, demanding sustained and integrated capital formation across every sphere: intellectual, social, physical, spiritual, and financial.
2. Navigating the complexities of a dynamic multipolar landscape:
   Recent geopolitical shifts present Africa with a paradox; unprecedented opportunities to leverage its strategic importance, alongside acute vulnerabilities to new forms of economic dependency and geopolitical maneuvering. African countries will need to shift from a passive recipient of external solutions and development models to becoming an active negotiator setting new terms of engagement.
3. Freeing the youth:
   With a median age of 24 years old in our Africa Equity Group portfolio of 5,000+ businesses and projects financed to date, we must massively scale access to seed funding, strategic capital, and entrepreneurial ecosystems that allow for young entrepreneurs, startups, and enterprises to thrive. The definitive financing of this structural transformation must be anchored in the decisive mobilization of the African diaspora, complementing important Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows by leveraging the sub-class of Diaspora Direct Investment (DDI) to seamlessly translate current consumption remittances into a structured, sovereign source of development capital. This necessitates the parallel issuance of intentional financial instruments, such as Continent-Wide Diaspora Bonds and Investment Funds, to securitize this wealth. To facilitate deployment and scale, the continent must urgently prioritize the simplification and harmonization of business policies across the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), coupled with the creation of a continent-wide skills bank and mentorship network designed to optimize human capital flow and accelerate the transfer of essential technology and knowledge to African firms and SMEs.
4. Accountability:
   We must stop planning in short, reactive cycles. Our plans must be backed by a public, transparent and long-term Pan-African scorecard that measures: Economic integration, diaspora integration, resource control, human development, value-added industrialization, technological sovereignty, institutional resilience, among others. We must move beyond the era of rhetorical declarations to an era of empirical verification, where progress is judged not by the aspirational GDP of individual nations, but by the granular reality of our collective structural transformation.

PAC also joined the 4th Commission Working Group, titled ‘Reinventing African Citizenship,’ to contribute strategic recommendations. This collaborative effort culminated in the inclusion of the group’s findings in the FINAL DECLARATION OF THE NINTH PAN-AFRICAN CONGRESS IN LOMÉ available for download here.

Simultaneously, it was a distinct privilege to accompany the Colombian delegation, led by Vice President H.E. Francia Elena Márquez Mina and Vice Minister Mr. Mauricio Jaramillo Jassir, to the 9th Congress. To trace the arc from our Council’s initial advisory role during the Vice President’s first official visit to the continent in 2023, to now witnessing the culmination of her mandate with the establishment of relations with the Republic of Togo, is remarkable. It speaks directly to the maturity and laser-focused execution of Colombia’s Africa Strategy 2022-2026, marking a sophisticated evolution in South-South Cooperation.

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LUSAKA, ZAMBIA  —

Preliminary Meeting on the 3rd Session of the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent

Back to the Roots: A Pan-African Approach in Fostering an African Renaissance

Date: March 25-27, 2024

Location: Lusaka, Zambia
Venue: The Quorum

Implementing partners: International Coalition for People of African Descent (ICPAD), Pan-African Council (PAC), African Union ECOSOCC, Panda Africa (Zambia), Articulación Latinoamericana para el Decenio Afrodescendiente (ALDA), Black and African Diaspora Program (BAFD) – Dalhousie University, Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLAC), Baobab Centro de Innovación en Justicia Racial, de Género y Ambiental (Colombia), Plateforme Haïtienne de Plaidoyer pour un Développement Alternatif (PAPDA), Frantz Fanon Foundation (Martinique/France).

The aim of the preliminary meeting is to:

• Strengthen and expand ICPAD and its members, that will meet in person or online before each United Nations Permanent Forum of People of African Descent session to create a working plan and identify key objectives as part of civil society contribution;
• Foster knowledge exchange to promote inclusive and holistic policy recommendations and decision-making capabilities;
• Develop an effective grassroots-driven network that has the tools and resources to support people of African descent globally in dealing with human rights violations and dignity.

For more information and to register for the event, kindly visit: http://panafricancouncil.org/LUSAKA2024.

 

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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL  —

Council Ambassador to Brazil, Mr Rogerio Siqueira accompanied the Ambassador of Barbados to Brazil, H.E. Tonika Sealy-Thompson for a high-level meeting with the G20 Rio de Janeiro Summit Committee. In the spirit of cooperation and collective action leading up to the nineteenth meeting of Group of Twenty (G20), the Pan-African Council aims to emphasize Global South participation during the Summit with a special focus on Africa and the Caribbean.

The 2024 G20 Rio de Janeiro summit is scheduled to take place at the Museum of Modern Art (MAM) in Rio de Janeiro on 18–19 November 2024, the first G20 summit to be held in Brazil. The group that brings together 80% of the GDP of the world economy will meet in Rio over the course of a year.

The Brazilian presidency of the G20 officially started on December 1st, 2023, with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as chair, under its theme being “Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet”.

The country’s National G20 Committee was established on November 23, 2023. Lula highlighted the historic nature of this opportunity for Brazil –– and added that it is time for the agenda around combating inequality, hunger and poverty to be taken up for discussion with the world’s most important leaders. “It is no longer humanly possible to explain how the world can be so rich — that so much money crosses the Atlantic Ocean — and still so many people can be going hungry,” he said.

The Brazilian president also mentioned climate change as another of the country’s priorities in its leadership of the G20. “To Brazil, energy transition is an opportunity that we did not have in the 20th century. Now, in the 21st century, we can show the world that whoever wants to use green energy to produce what is necessary for humanity can come to Brazil: it is a safe haven where people may invest, helping to turn it into a developed country once and for all,” added Lula.

Lula also addressed the need for changes in the global governance system and in the way the true economic needs of developing countries are understood. it is no longer possible for Bretton Woods institutions, the World Bank, IMF and other financial institutions to go on functioning as if nothing were happening in the world, as if everything’s been solved,” he said.

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BOGOTA, COLOMBIA  —

Background

The Republic of Colombia’s historic election and transition to a popular government led by President Gustavo Petro and Vice President Francia Marquez not only marks an unprecedented window of opportunity for improved diplomatic and economic relations within the region, but also the possibility of seeking further rapprochement with African countries on the other side of the Atlantic. The political will and impetus for developing these new pathways to cooperation has never been more lucid than in Gustavo Petro’s very own presidential inauguration speech, in which he declared:

“We will seek greater alliances with Africa, where we originate from; 
we will seek an alliance of afro-descendant communities in the Americas.” 
– President Gustavo Petro, Inauguration Speech
(“Buscaremos mayores alianzas con África, de donde provenimos; 
buscaremos una alianza de pueblos afros en Ámerica.” 
- Presidente Gustavo Petro, discurso de inauguración)

Gustavo Petro’s call to action for a “Colombia of possibilities” creates an avenue to leverage our joint strengths and aspirations to face the challenges of the 21st century. During the election campaign and her activist history, VP Francia Márquez often leveraged the African idea of ubuntu (humanness) to promote interdependence within and between societies. In these unprecedented times of pandemic, climate change, supply chain, and monetary risk, the need to reinvigorate South-South Cooperation has never been more pronounced.

Contemporary Colombia-Africa Relations

The Republic of Colombia’s current “Guidelines for Colombian Foreign Politics” state the mandate of “sharing experiences in important issues for African development”. Colombia’s experience has been shared through the programs regarding Disarming, Demobilization and Reintegration allowing the development of important progress in terms of cooperation with countries such as Liberia, Somalia, Eritrea, Burundi, Uganda, Rwanda, Angola, among others. Colombia makes institutional presence in sub-Saharan Africa through the Embassies in South Africa and Kenya.

More recently, the Colombian Presidential Agency for International Cooperation (APC-Colombia) has signed a Financial Contribution Agreement with the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) within the framework of South-South Cooperation to bolster technical assistance for programmes across Africa. This agreement paved the way for the exchange of best practices, building local lasting capacities and technical assistance in different areas such as; environment, risk management and resilience; emergent technology and research; agriculture; and food security and nutrition, among others.

Partnership and Engagement

The Pan-African Council partnered with Colombia’s Office of the Vice Presidency to support Colombia’s first high-level visit to the African continent after a 26-year hiatus with the aim of strengthening diplomacy, cultural, business and entrepreneurial ties. Colombia’s first Vice President of African Descent, Her Excellency Francia Márquez, led a delegation of some 60 representatives to South Africa, Kenya and Ethiopia this May.

The Council’s piece on CNBC Africa highlights the country’s desire to expand the number of embassies it has in Sub-Saharan Africa, creating a foundation for future political, cultural, and economic partnerships. The visit also provided a unique opportunity for African countries to assert their individual and collective interests through enhanced international cooperation.

Opportunities for South-South Cooperation

Colombia lags considerably behind countries like Brazil in trade and political ties with Africa. Colombia and African countries can better explore and exploit their comparative advantages in goods and services. In the context of exploring new and innovative multilateral and bilateral agreements, there’s a unique opportunity for Colombia to partner with African countries in achieving Agenda 2063 and by also sharing its expertise in areas such as renewable energy, water management, and information and communication technology.

Currently, countries across Latin America are diligently seeking to position themselves as highly competitive actors in the geopolitical landscape. Colombia is well-positioned to take the lead on Africa-Latin America relations for the Spanish-speaking world as the country seeks to improve its education and cultural exchanges, economic competitiveness, attract trade and investment, and promote themselves as major tourist destinations. African countries, in turn, aspire to rebrand and transform themselves into an influential economic, touristic, environmentally sustainable region with a vast pool of natural resources and human capital.

Activities

As part of the Colombia’s 2022-2026 Africa Strategy, the Council supported the first-ever Colombia-South Africa High-Level Business Forum, the Kenya-Colombia Business Forum (hosted by the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce & Industry), the cultural industries roundtables and events (including Mandla N’s Media City Studios South Africa, collaborative music camps for artists, and the Bomas of Kenya Artistic Evening), the Ubuntu Unity Colombian and South African Cultural Heritage Celebration, the My Roots in Africa Tree Planting Ceremony and Leaders’ Breakfast at Karura Forest with the Hon. Governor of Nairobi Sakaja Johnson Arthur, Wanjira Mathai VP of the World Resouces Institute, Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) leaders Kamil Olufowobi and Mwende Mbevi in a ceremony to foster the reconnection with the African diaspora in Colombia and reaffirm our joint commitments to nature preservation and environmental protection. The My Roots in Africa tree planting initiative gives the Diaspora an opportunity to connect with the roots in Africa while reducing carbon emissions through the regreening of the planet.

The high impact trip resulted in over two dozen memorandums of understanding, bilateral and cooperation agreements signed across South Africa, Kenya, and Ethiopia.

We extend a special thanks to the entire Pan-African Council team, the Embassies of Colombia in South Africa and Kenya, as well as other partners including Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD), TAP Magazine, MHM Media, Rubiez & Pearlz VIP Logistix, and Masters Of The Industry (MOTI Africa) who graciously supported the trip agenda.

We further wish to congratulate the Republic of Colombia on their historic engagement with Africa and for taking the bold step of strengthening of South-South cooperation.

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Media Contact:

Tatiana Mensah
media@panafricancouncil.org

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Get access to physical or digital copies of the Afri Diplomat Magazine for your reading pleasure. 

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LAGOS, NIGERIA  —

The Pan-African Council is pleased to partner and contribute to the new edition of Afri Diplomat Magazine, covering the latest events, personalities and happenings across the African and diasporic diplomatic landscape.

In the words of the magazine’s Editor-In-Chief, Prince Deji Ajomale-McWord, “the content of this publication will always be about Africa, her diaspora, the rest of the world who operates within her shores and in whose space nations of Africa operate, vis-à-vis international relations. You would be seeing Afri Diplomat Magazine in electronic and print format, for months and years to come. Kindly join us on this journey.”

Physical copies can be found at your nearest international African airport across Nigeria (The Envoy Hotel, Abuja Bolingo Hotel & Suites; Abuja Protocol Lounges: Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport; Muritala Mohammed International Airport), Kenya (Jomo Kenyatta International Airport), South Africa (Airport O.R Tambo International Airport), or at Pan-African Council offices.

Get access to digital copies of the Afri Diplomat Magazine for your reading pleasure. The copies may be downloaded for free here.

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Africa and the Caribbean unite to build a common future.

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BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS — This past September 1-3, 2022, prominent business, political and cultural leaders from across Africa and the Caribbean gathered in Barbados for the inaugural AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF2022), a meeting initiated by Afreximbank, Export Barbados, and Invest Barbados with the support of the African Union, the AfCFTA Secretariat, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Caribbean Export Development Agency, the Africa Business Council, and the International Trade Centre.

The Pan-African Council joined a number of sponsors supporting the Forum’s central theme: “One People. One Destiny. Uniting and Reimagining Our Future”. The event boasted more than 1500 delegates from 90 countries of the world, including government officials, development partners, trade support institutions, investors and private sector leaders from both regions. On that account, ACTIF2022 aimed to help strengthen relations between the private sectors of the two regions to advance trade and investment.

The Hon. Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, set the tone of the Forum by delivering a gripping keynote address to an enthusiastic crowd highlighting that “Africa has been separated from the Caribbean region, not only by the Atlantic Ocean, but by centuries of few interactions, despite our shared common descent and history. Barbados, at this time, looks to Africa in pursuit of new relationships and partners with the aim of deepening engagement and cooperation with like-minded nations both bilaterally and multilaterally”.

She insisted that although African and Caribbean peoples have worked together for more than a century in the various Pan-African congresses, our political union, though essential were not sufficient “for the journey that must be made to reverse the underdevelopment of Africa and the underdevelopment of the Caribbean”. In the spirit of South-South cooperation – a concept and practice of cooperation and solidarity among regions of the global south historically disadvantaged by the world system – the Forum stressed the importance of deeper economic ties in order to fortify.

Topping the day’s agenda at ACTIF2022 are the business-to-business engagements and panel discussions on several topics, including:

• promoting trade and tourism while improving air links between the regions;
• accelerating industrialisation and manufacturing;
• developing special economic zones (SEZs) and industrial parks;
• improving infrastructure, financing and trade logistics, including regional integration;
• cooperating on health, climate change, and the energy transition;
• fomenting the conditions to accelerate private sector investment; and
• improving food security, agricultural productivity, and expanding agribusiness opportunities.

H.E. Professor Benedict Oramah, Afreximbank President and Chairman of the Board, pointed out that “both regions must forge a common front to harness several opportunities available, including the $27 trillion dollar North American markets”. Simultaneously, Secretary General of CARICOM, Dr. Carla Barnett, highlighted that the potential to do business with Africa was “tremendous” considering that the market represented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTFA) was set to reach US $6.7 trillion in value by 2035.

Fully capitalising on these prospects will entail clear objectives and targets, namely: mobilising the required resources and capabilities; establishing appropriate frameworks, institutions, and business processes; strengthening and streamlining infrastructure such as air and maritime distribution and transportation channels; mobilising all relevant stakeholders including the vast pool of bi-continental and Diaspora talent; and continuously identifying opportunities and creating awareness.

Accordingly, the strong linkages between Africa and the Caribbean based on a shared history, culture, concerns, and common sense of identity underpin the political and individual will for cooperation to fulfil the promises of the Forum. This natural congruence between the two regions have set a new bar in the battle for a more just and sustainable international social and economic order.

As a first step towards this new era of cooperation, ACTIF2022 will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the most historic events to inspire a new sense of hope, purpose, and dynamism among Caribbean and African peoples.

By Danait D. Tafere, Conflict Analyst

The views expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Pan-African Council.

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Mainstream media is often so focused on tragedy that we barely understand the significance of a particular segment of news. We instead receive a constant influx of grim headlines and traumatic episodes that flood into our homes. These types of fear-based media campaigns desensitize us to violence and human suffering. This consequently manipulates us into staying isolated and atomized in our thoughts and communities, fearful of our neighbors, let alone have sufficient emotional energy left over to help or care for them. According to a study at the Pew Media Center, approximately 90% of the news we hear is negative, leaving us with a sense of confusion, misinformation, and powerlessness. In this article, I will focus on some truths experienced from a local woman’s perspective in the hopes of demystifying the misinformation around the Tigray crisis through a historical lens of the region as well as shed light on its significance for all of Africa.

When 32 freed African nations came together in 1963 to create the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in Addis Ababa, their biggest challenge at the time was colonization. In the course of time, African countries were progressively “decolonized” and achieved independence, at least on paper. Nonetheless the ground reality left villages split in to two, oftentimes three different countries while their lands and natural resources became the private property of former colonizers and their corporations. The new face of systematic colonization much like systemic racism in the US, where the freedom of African-Americans achieved in 1863 was followed by draconian Jim Crow laws that obliged newly-freed individuals to work on their former slave masters land and share up to 100% of the profit. Developing this new form of oppression through the use of capital, became the defining feature of American globalized capitalism. A hundred years later, in Africa, newly freed nations also found themselves restricted by an evolving systemic colonization. In his essay, The Last Stage of Imperialism, the then President and Doctor Kwame Nkrumah named this ‘neo-colonialism’ and stated “the essence of neo-colonialism is that the State which is subject to it is, in theory, independent and has all the outward trappings of international sovereignty. In reality its economic system and thus its political policy is directed from outside…by monetary control over foreign exchange through the imposition of a banking system controlled by the imperial power. The result of neo-colonialism is that foreign capital is used for the exploitation rather than for the development of the less developed parts of the world. Investment under neo-colonialism increases rather than decreases the gap between the rich and the poor countries of the world. The struggle against neo-colonialism is not aimed at excluding the capital of the developed world from operating in less developed countries. It is aimed at preventing the financial power of the developed countries being used in such a way as to impoverish the less developed.” Poor countries today receive about $130 billion in international aid annually while $2.4 trillion is extracted in resources via colonially imposed mechanism that obscure legality around these practices.

Reflecting on Abyssinian history, the Queen Sheba was a prominent figure in the Judaic, Islamic, and Christian traditions. Her kingdom was referred to as both to the south and to the east of Israel. The Aksumite Kingdom’s, Solomonic Dynasty used the name “Ethiopia” as early as the 4th Century and which is also the current resting place of the Ark of the Covenant. The Empire also at times extended across most Western Yemen, Southern Saudi Arabia, parts of Eastern Sudan and Northern Africa. Hosting one of the oldest mosques in the world, Al Nejashi Mosque. It is said that when “The Prophet Mohammed realized that he could not protect his followers from the attacks in Mecca. He told them to go to the Habesha land, there is a Christian king there. There is justice in his kingdom. – Inspired by the Ethiopian hospitality, Prophet Mohammed instructed his followers to respect and protect Ethiopia as well as live in peace with Ethiopian Christians… Al Nejashi mosque is considered by many as the second most sacred place of Islamic worship and rightly dubbed by Ethiopian Muslims as ‘the second Mecca.”

Since the Abyssinian Empire, Ethiopia claims it was never colonized, however today’s borders are not organic borders, rather they are borders imposed upon the country. To the east we have the Somali-Ethiopians, to the west we have the Gambella–Ethiopians – who are much more like the Sudanese and in the north the Tigray’s – who are the same as most Eritreans, similarly in the south and the Kenyan border. During colonization Ethiopia fought against the Italians but instead of pushing them fully off the coast of the Horn of Africa, Amhara King Menelik II, fearful of the strength of the Tigray speaking north and their rivalry, for the King of Kings title of Ethiopia allowed the Italians to keep current-day Eritrea by splitting the Tigray speaking population of Abyssinia who were the epicenter of the Solomonic Dynasty in the holy city of Axum.

In the 60s, a military coup assassinated King Haile Selassie and the Derg assumed power. This led to a 17-year era known as the “Red Terror” – a bloody era of economic hardship and suffering in Ethiopian history. This period also gave birth to the TPLF and several other PLFs (people’s liberation fronts) like the OLF in Oromia, WSLF in Somalia, ALF in Afra, representing different regions of Ethiopia – these PLFs jointly overtook the Derg and created a collective federal party EPDRF and maintained their own regional autonomy. Each region designated their own leader and appointed them to Addis, in contrast to the New Prosperity Party’s proposal of a top-down decision-making process that undermines indigenous nuances among the 80+ diverse ethnic groups of Ethiopia.

Ethiopia’s Contemporary Rise and Decline

Over the last three decades, Ethiopia became a commanding force on the Africa continent, leading sustainable development both internally and externally. Ethiopia’s close political ties with China, was extended to the rest of Africa creating competition for pre-existing colonial powers that monopolized vast areas and sectors of the continent. Ethiopia’s economy grew at a remarkable annual average rate of 10.8 percent. GDP increased from US$122 in 1999 to US$794 in 2015, poverty declined from 44.2 percent in 1999 to 23.5 percent in 2015. Illiteracy among adults fell from 20.4 million in 2011 to 7 million in 2016. In an ongoing effort to modernize the financial system which only had 16 private banks and two government banks in the 90s, by 2015 Ethiopia had 363 private bank branches and 131 government bank branches. In rural areas, 18,000 Savings and Credit Cooperative Workers Associations were established serving 11.8 million customers. The government also heavily invested in infrastructure development i.e. freeways connecting different regions, train systems that travel to neighboring countries. With rapid building of massive industrial parks in several major regions, Ethiopia also became a preferred location for cheap labor, safe investments and an influx of hundreds global manufacturing industries. The country’s national carrier, Ethiopian Airlines (with its slogan “The Spirit of Africa”), became the pride of not just Ethiopia but the whole of Africa. Africa’s largest dam, the GRED, is a $5 billion project that no international financial institution such as the World Bank and IMF wanted to support. It was launched by P.M. Meles Zenawi of Tigray who mobilized the Ethiopian Diaspora to get the project going, using 100% of Ethiopian labor, financing and material made in Ethiopia. Ethiopia was developing at an even faster pace than China and with the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia also became the world’s third largest political hub after New York and Geneva. In addition, Ethiopia served as the main peacekeeper in the Horn of Africa fighting Al Shabab and other “extremist/terrorist” groups across East Africa and the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region while providing the highest number of UN peacekeepers internationally.

Despite all of that, the status that Ethiopia once enjoyed is becoming increasingly unrecognizable under the country’s new leadership. From the arrest of OLF’s Oromo political leaders in the south, to the assassinations of the Amhara regional president and the head of the Amhara region military in the west, to igniting an all-out civil war in the North. A good question to ask here is, why does a country that was clearly on the right path to economic and political prosperity need new and rigorous reforms? The answer that comes to mind for me is, Nkrumah’s explanation of systemic colonization – the breaking up former larger united territories into a number of small non-viable and manageable states which are incapable of independent development and must rely upon colonial power for defense and even internal security.

Changing Times

When I moved to Ethiopia in mid-2018 it wasn’t my first experience. In 2015 I completed an internship at IGAD (The Intergovernmental Authority on Development) in the office of the Special Envoy for South Sudan under the leadership for Ambassador Seyoum Mesfin and reported to Ambassador Tewolde Gebremeskel. In 2016, I operated a farm in Agena, in the Southern Nations region as well as an AirBnB business in Addis Ababa that catered to tourist from all around the world. When I returned to Ethiopia in May 2018, I dedicated myself to an all women-owned and operated honey farm with a solar powered processing plant in Hagare Selam, Tigray, as well as teaching workshops at Mekelle University. The atmosphere in Addis at the time was very tense. There were rumours about the death of the Grand Renascence Dam’s lead engineer, Simegnew Bekele, being that of an inside job. He was found dead in broad daylight in Meskel Square, and the police reported it as a suicide. Prior to that, P.M. Abiy Ahmed Ali was invited to meet with Donald Trump, this time in Egypt and was given an award for reasons that still haven’t been made public. The Tigrinya speaking population of Addis Ababa began selling their homes and business and relocating to Tigray. By the end of 2018 there were already over 200,000 Tegaru who were internally displaced from other regions back to Tigray. Today we have 2.5 million internally displaced people in Tigray with 4.5 million at risk of starvation. When the Eritrean border opened, thousands of deprived Eritreans fled into Tigray. This inflated market prices creating problem for locals in Tigray who were now paying up to 200% more for goods and services. With persecution from the other parts of Ethiopia leading to an influx of Tigray populations moving back to Tigray and the flood of Eritrean migrants by the tens of thousands, conflict in other regions had also scared foreign tourist and investors, many of which headed to Tigray which was one of the only safe region in Ethiopia. Threatened by the influx of activities in Tigray, the federal government attempted to discourage travel to Tigray by denying investors from boarding a flight to Tigray, and even arrested some of them. In June 2019, the head of the Federal Army General Se’are (Tigrayan) was murdered in his home, as was the retired General Gezae who was also of Tigrayan ethnicity. Both were killed by General Se’are’s own bodyguard who was reassigned to him a few months before the killing by the P.M.’s office for undisclosed reasons.

The Escalation

Timeline of the escalation of conflict between the Federal government and both the leadership and people of Tigray:

• Apr. 2018 — After years of anti-government protests, Hailemariam Desalegn steps down Abiy Ahmed is elected leader by the EPRDF for the remaining 2 years until Aug. 2020.
• 2018–2020 — Abiy implements wave of reforms.
• June 2018 — Abiy travels to Cairo and makes a deal about GRED.
• July 2018 — GRED Head Engineer Killed.
• Mid 2018 — 1.4 million Ethiopians internally displaced.
• Sep. 2018 — Eritrea –Tigray Border open, heavy Eritrean migration into Tigray.
• June 2019 — Generals of Federal Army Assassinated.
• Oct 2019 — Abiy awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for resolving the long-running conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea.
• Aug. 2020 — Abiy postpones the much-anticipated August 2020 general elections.
• Sep. 2020 — Tigray holds their own election, electing their regional leaders. 2.7 million people voted.
• Oct. 2020 — Abiy cuts the Tigray Regional Budget accuses the TPLF of unlawfully holding their own polls. When a General was sent to Tigray to take over the Northern Command post, the Tigray Defense force sent him back to Addis.
• 3 Nov. 2020 — Tigray Defense Force takes over Northern command.
• 4 Nov. 2020 — Abiy makes a statement saying the TPLF has “crossed a red line” and a military offensive will be launched.
• 7 Nov.2020 — Parliament declares Tigray government illegal and Eritrean Force entered Tigray

Currently Eritrean and Ethiopian soldiers have sealed off the borders of Tigray, prohibiting both entry and exit. Cities in the region have implemented curfews with harsh penalties, some punishable by death. Meanwhile, Eritrean and Ethiopian Soldiers are deliberately destroying historical artifacts like Al Nejashi Mosque which was bombed, university labs and hospitals have also been destroyed and being blamed on the TPLF. There are also gruesome atrocities and violent killing sprees in MaiKadra, as well as massacres in the holy city of Axum and a spike in gender-based violence and violence against children which has left the region devastated with over 50,000 dead, and 60,000 fleeing to Sudan – just before the borders were sealed. The federal government continues to deny these occurrences and has pushed the blame onto the people of Tigray themselves for the conflict. Displacement, ethic cleansing, sexual violence and destructions of artifacts are common tactics in times of war. There have been several reports on the atrocities committed in Tigray, but we have yet to see the international community take action by creating a special envoy for Tigray and Ethiopia. On February 19th, 2021 the Tigray-elected government released a statement regarding a peaceful resolution laying out their eight preconditions for negotiations, the top ones included: 1. The exit of ALL Foreign Troops facilitated by UN peacekeepers. 2. Full Humanitarian Access 3. Restoration of Elected Leaders Legitimacy. 4. Third Party Investigate of atrocities committed.

The federal government must accept these conditions in order to stop the violence immediately and create a space for real dialogue. It is only through dialogue that devastations like the famine Tigray experienced in 1977 can be avoided. The aftermath of war and trauma from that era still weighs on the collective mind and ethnic identity in Tigray. 30 years later, the same war is now plaguing a younger generation of Tigrayans that are on the ground fighting and putting their lives at risk, while the diaspora feels helpless. Unfortunately, this war in Tigray is not the only war on the African continent, there are armed struggles in various regions around the world –  from Central and West Africa, to the Caribbean, South America, US and everywhere Black people are present I leave you with the words of Malcolm X: “We are not outnumbered, we’re out organized”.

We encourage people of African descent everywhere to observe and oppose these neocolonial wars that serve exogenous interests and actively destabilize of the Horn of Africa which further threatens security and prosperity on the African continent.

PAC Representative Ayesha Wharton recounts her personal journey to becoming a diplomat: “We put too much pressure on ourselves to figure everything out all at once or by a certain age,” she affirms.

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Ayesha is the Counsellor at the Embassy of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in Beijing.

Ayesha has spent the last six and a half years posted in China and has been in the Foreign Service for almost 14 years. But, before becoming a Diplomat, Ayesha worked in the field of Journalism.

In this interview with Ayesha, we discuss her transition to diplomacy. Including what the job has been like, and her advice for anyone interested in pursuing the career.

After graduating from McGill University with a B.A. in Political Science and Economics, Ayesha decided to focus on gaining relevant experience and mentorship over taking any job for the sole purpose of getting paid.

Her goal: to spend time getting acquainted with international organizations as an intern and speaking with anyone who would listen to her as she sought advice about her future.

“Mentorship taught me the value of seeking advice. It also taught me how to build a network that could support me as I progressed in my career.”

Like many of us, however; Ayesha was not always certain that diplomacy was the career she wanted to pursue.

Her passion for writing and connecting attracted her to the campus radio station while at university. This transcended into a career in radio and television before she entered diplomacy.

“At some point, you have to follow your bliss. Do whatever you feel passionate about, even if it has nothing to do with your field of academic study. It’s the perfect opportunity to discover the interests that ignite you and those that don’t.”

After three years in Media Ayesha decided it was time for something different.

“You are not obligated to stick to one path. If you choose a path today and at some point, you decide it no longer serves you, move forward. The lessons you learned and the skills you acquired will never be forgotten.”

And with that attitude, Ayesha did two unpaid internships in the Association of Caribbean States and the CARICOM Secretariat in an attempt to get more experience while waiting for an opportunity to enter the Foreign Service.

What it’s like working in the Foreign Services?

From an outsider’s perspective, it’s easy to glorify the role of being a Diplomat. Entering the system Ayesha was no exception to the rule.

Her initial motivation in going after the role was to help ‘change the world’. Before joining the Foreign Service, she imagined Diplomats did so by receiving clearly written instructions based on well researched and documented analysis fed to them by a network of handsomely paid and supportive staff.

She thought it was a cross between “Star Trek” and “the West Wing” where she could boldly go where no woman or man had gone before, while she gleaned clear and articulate policy directives from the political elite.

But, diplomats on the inside will tell you this is not always the case.

While acknowledging the high-profile nature of the job, Ayesha doesn’t make light of the workload and sacrifices involved in being a diplomat.

“Sometimes you have to learn to build and cultivate networks of support for yourself and by yourself. Sometimes implementing policy directives is not straightforward…” and in those cases, she explains you’re expected to be hands-on in filling in the gaps.

In terms of her grandeur dream of ‘changing the world’ Ayesha’s perspective has also changed.

“I no longer want to change the world. The only world I have power over is my own. I’ve come to realize that every act, no matter how small, has meaning and significance.

Ask yourself, what is the story that I tell myself about who I am, what I’m capable of, where I’m going and why? You have the power to create a new narrative governing your life story at any moment.

For my part, several moments in my career have given me a deep sense of fulfillment such as when I can witness lives being changed.

Representing a small island developing country is an honor and a privilege. I love being able to introduce Trinidad and Tobago to people who have never heard of the country, as is the case with many Chinese nationals.

My deepest joy also comes from when I interact with fellow nationals and can help in some way, from giving a small taste of home, to being part of a team that successfully negotiated a visa waiver agreement (in a different posting), etc.”

Advice for those wishing to enter diplomacy.

To fresh grads and others interested in entering the sector Ayesha quotes Nas ‘The world is yours’ she says. “Own it, claim it, and don’t beat yourself up if you have failed or are not where you think you should be in a few years.”

She views mistakes as the necessary steps in her journey to understanding her purpose, of which her career is but one manifestation.

In this regard, she reminds young professionals that it is important to know who they are, separate from any career. “Get to know yourself and set firm boundaries between your career and who you are.”

She also admonishes graduates and young professionals to learn how to grow a brand, be it branding for a nation, a company or personal branding.

She reiterates that understanding the dynamics of how to cultivate branding in today’s social media climate is essential. “Your network is your net worth, and reputation (not image) is everything!” she says.

Ayesha also draws attention to the value of institutional memory in the Foreign Service. “It is paramount and needed. Respect the institutional memory of those who have gone before you, even as you gather your own institutional memory bank.”

Finally from her perspective as a black woman in a male-dominated field, Ayesha says this,

“To the women who wish to enter this male-dominated field, if at any point you find yourself in a room where you are the only woman and the only person of color know that other women have opened the door for you to enter, and you may be currently opening a door for other women to follow, so do your best, because all these women are in that room supporting you.

Cultivate honest, open, genuine friendships with women in the field of diplomacy who can hold you accountable because these bonds will give you the strength, courage, and wisdom you need to thrive in a male-dominated arena.

To the men who wish to enter this male-dominated field, learn to hold space for the women you encounter, and to uplift and encourage those women who are your colleagues.

Seek to gather women as mentors and mentees to learn and appreciate their point of view. Remember having a diverse team with women who are in management is an asset to your organization.”

– Originally published on Thrive Beijing online magazine and written by Lisa Alleyne.

In a historic day for the empowerment of the African Diaspora in Brazil, a PAC delegation composed of representatives from South Africa, Brazil, Colombia, the United States and the Caribbean (CARICOM member countries) meets with the President of the Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and its respective State Deputies.

In a historic day for the empowerment of the African Diaspora in Brazil, a PAC delegation composed of representatives from South Africa, Brazil, Colombia, the United States and the Caribbean (CARICOM member countries) meets with the President of the Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and its respective State Deputies.

The parties agreed to begin formulating strategies to bolster technical cooperation, investments, tourism, cultural and educational exchange between regions of the Diaspora, individual African countries and Afro-Brazilians at large.

Members of the Legislative Assembly also expressed their unwavering commitment to support policies that will help combat racial inequality in the state of Rio de Janeiro, with a special focus on youth development and women.

Furthermore, the Pan-African Council committed to sponsoring 15 outstanding young Afro-Brazilians in the year 2020 to join a larger African Diaspora youth delegation to the Republic of Ghana, in support of the country’s Year of Return initiatives.

Pan-African Council Delegate, Kamille Brown attended the historic and unprecedented outreach to Pan-African stakeholders in Atlanta, Georgia via Town Hall Format.

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The event, held at the AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library, addressed the following topics:

• Update on significant developments in the African Union
• Brief on the 2019 February African Union Summit
• Update on historic progress on African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
• Introduction of Steering Committee for African Diaspora Health Initiative
• Africa House, Georgia
• African Union Passport
• R 400 Initiative