BY DARGIE KAHSAY
Africa celebrated the 60th anniversary of Africa Day and the establishment of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), now known as the African Union (AU), in Addis Ababa on May 25, 2023. The continent marked this milestone through various activities at its headquarters in Addis Ababa. One of these activities was a photo exhibition, prepared by the Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA), as part of the commemoration of the AU’s 60th anniversary.
The Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA) played a crucial role in chronicling the establishment of the OAU back in 1963, documenting every development in Amharic, Arabic and English languages. To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the OAU-AU, EPA is thrilled to join hands with the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and the AU to organize a unique photo exhibition that showcases the historical milestones and achievements of this remarkable organization and its impact on Africa and the world.
The main objective of the photo exhibition was to showcase the remarkable 60-year
journey and accomplishments of OAU-AU, as well as highlight Ethiopia’s pivotal role in the establishment of OAU. Additionally, the exhibition aimed to demonstrate the African continent’s plan of action in the 1960s to combat imperialism, colonialism, and apartheid.
In order to achieve this goal, the exhibition carefully selected 60 most exceptional photos from the archives, which documented a range of activities throughout OAU’s history, including its inaugural session, the fifth anniversary celebration in Kampala, the 10th, 25th, 50th, and 60th year anniversaries.
The exhibition was graced by the presence of distinguished guests including Azali Assoumani, the current Chairman of the African Union and President of the Union of Comoros, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, former Commissioner of the AU, Moussa Faki Mahamat, the current Commissioner of the AU, and other esteemed government officials from various African countries.
This photograph was captured by talented photojournalists from the EPA on May 25th, 2023. This photograph depicts participants of the 60th year anniversary of the establishment of OAU-AU and Africa Day. They were visiting a stunning photo exhibition which was thoughtfully organized by the EPA at the AU building’s headquarters.
In this picture, we can see President of the Union of Comoros who is the chairperson of the African Union for the year 2023 , Azali Assoumani, along with former Commissioner of AUC, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, current Commissioner of AUC, Moussa Faki Mahamat, and Editor-in-Chief of The Ethiopian Herald Newspaper, Worku Belachew, standing at the front. The group is accompanied by other guests who are visiting the prepared photo exhibition.
The person pointing at the photo is the current Chairman of the AU and President of the Union of Comoros, Azali Assoumani. Standing to his right is Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, and behind her is her successor. Together, they are looking at a photo of Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma when she was the Commissioner of AUC alongside Carlos Lopes, then Executive Secretary of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
Standing behind Dlamini-Zuma are the current African Union Commissioner, Moussa Faki Mahamat, and her successor.
The Ethiopian Herald June 4/2023
