On the occasion of the 115th anniversary of the birth of Afrika’s “Man of the Millennium,” we observe the extent to which The Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s interrupted Pan-Afrikan vision has survived to the present on the Afrikan continent. (1) In his nine-year tenure as president of Ghana:
“His government transformed the infrastructure of the west Afrikan state while keeping the “liberation torch burning very brightly” by providing financial, political and other material support for freedom fighters across the continent.” (2)
However, this fervent Pan-Afrikan orientation led to a strident programme of destabilisation by the west, ultimately leading to his toppling in 1966, aided by entrenched internal forces. (3) This coup, as predicted by the Osagyefo instituted generations of “neo-colonialism” (“The last stage of imperialism”). (4) Indeed in the present, Ghana is run by a duopoly of political parties, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), pushing different variants of neoliberalism. (5)
But in recent years there have been stirrings in the neighbouring Sahel region that some commentators are declaring “stands as a beacon reminiscent of Marcus Garvey’s Back to Africa movement, and Kwame Nkrumah’s Pan-African ideals.” (6) Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, since effecting coup d’etats in each of the last three years respectively. (7) The three nations then proceeded to establish the Alliance of Sahel States (ASS) on September 16, 2023, also known as Liptako-Gurma meaning “what cannot be overcome” in the Fulani language. The alliance was “formed as a defensive and cooperative effort in response to regional instability and external threats, underlining a commitment to collective security.” Rather than strictly adhering to colonially imposed boundaries inherited at independence, this alliance emphasizes African autonomy, interdependence, and right to self-determination, actively confronting the entrenched global systems that are a consequence of the predations of France and allies like NATO, EU and USA. (8)
In July 2024 Alliance of Sahel States held its first summit in Niamey, Niger to deepen their coalition. In his speech at the closing of the summit, Burkina Faso’s Traoré , who is becoming well known for Pan-Afrikan pronouncements said:
“The “imperialists see Africa as an empire of slaves and that they believe that “Africans belong to them, our lands belong to them, our subsoils belong to them. Niger’s uranium lights up Europe, but its own streets remain dark. This, has to change.” (9)
Agreements were made at the summit, to allow for the free movement of people and goods, to create a stabilization fund in place of dependence upon the International Monetary Fund, and to develop an investment bank rather than rely upon the World Bank. (10)
Given the chequered history of military rule in west Afrika some remain cautious about developments in the Sahel, even though the three Sahel heads of state say they have laid out plans for transitions to civilian rule. However, there is also cocern about the fact that General Abdourahamane Tiani of Niger, Burkina Faso’s Captain Ibrahim Traore and Colonel Assimi Goïta of Mali have at some time been trained by the USA who are known to want to supplant France on the continent with it’s “dollarization” campaign. (11)
The Osagyefo himself offers some guidance on how to assess the situation:
“The machinations of the colonial power will fail wherever the leaders of the struggle for independence maintain a clear spirit of vigilance, and cultivate genuinely revolutionary qualities.” (12)
It’s an important criteria that must be applied judiciously.
(1) BBC World Service (14/09/00) Kwame Nkrumah’s Vision of Africa. https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/highlights/000914_nkrumah.shtml
(2) Afrika Speaks with Alkebu-Lan on Galaxy Radio (20/09/21) Nkrumah’s Ghost Pt. 1: Where is the Pan-Afrikan Vision? https://alkebulan.org/2021/09/19/aswag-350-nkrumahs-ghost-pt-1/
(3) Kwame Osei (23/01/16) Ghana’s Day Of Shame- https://www.modernghana.com/news/676718/ghanas-day-of-shame-the-legacy-dr-kwame-osei.html
(4) Mark Langan (03/02/18) Ghana’s first president accurately predicted what Africa’s former European colonizers would do. https://qz.com/africa/1196232/ghanas-first-president-accurately-predicted-what-europes-former-colonizers-would-do-in-africa/
(5) William Shoki & Sean Jacobs (26/09/20) Why Kwame Nkrumah’s Socialist, Pan-African Vision Continues to Inspire Radicals Today. https://jacobin.com/2020/09/kwame-nkrumah-ghana-pan-africanism
(6) Richard Atimniraye Nyelade (18/04/24) Alliance of Sahel States: Challenging Colonial Borders and UN Representation? https://kujenga-amani.ssrc.org/2024/04/18/alliance-of-sahel-states-challenging-colonial-borders-and-un-representation/
(7) Boubacar Haidara (08/09/23) A coup after coup in the Sahel. https://www.ips-journal.eu/topics/democracy-and-society/a-coup-after-coup-in-the-sahel-6976/
(8) Nyelade. Op. cit.
(9) Vijay Prashad (08/07/24) The Sahel stands up and the world must pay attention. https://peoplesdispatch.org/2024/07/08/the-sahel-stands-up-and-the-world-must-pay-attention/
(10) Ibid.
(11) King Richards (27/07/23) History of Military Coups in West Africa and its enigma. https://www.africanleadershipmagazine.co.uk/history-and-enigma-military-coups-in-west-africa/; Nick Turse (10/08/23) At Least Five Members of Niger Junta Were Trained by the US. https://theintercept.com/2023/08/10/niger-coup-us-military-training/;Afrika Speaks with Alkebu-Lan on Galaxy Radio (28/08/23) NIGER: A new dawn in Afrika? https://alkebulan.org/2023/08/27/aswag-448-niger-new-dawn-afrika/; Prashad. Op. cit.
(12) Kwame Nkrumah (1968) Handbook of Revolutionary Warfare. Panaf Books Limited. p. 11
we ask the question:
Is Nkrumahism Rising in the Sahel?
1) Why is Kwame Nkrumah considered Afrika’s “Man of the Millennium?
2) Is the Alliance of Sahel States a step towards Nkrumah’s vision?
3) Is it a concern that the leaders have been trained by the USA?”
4) Or have they cultivated genuinely revolutionary qualities.?
Our Special Guests:
Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and an Afrikan-Centred Education Consultant. Bro. Ldr is a veteran activist of over 40 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An African-Centred Approach To Excellence.
Dr. Kwame Osei: is a Ghanaian born Historian, writer, broadcaster and entrepreneur. who has been studying World history particularly Afrikan history for over 25 years and has been on study tours to Kemet, Australia and India. As a freelance writer for Modern Ghana.com Kwame has written over 100 articles in publications like Ghanaian Times, Daily Graphic, New African, Black Britain and The World Bank Group. Kwame’s business interests including real estate, land, financial services and farming and is an ardent and unapologetic Pan-Afrikanist
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