Africa Day commemorates the founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in 1963. At this year’s annual address in Addis Ababa on May 25th, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali, emphasized that justice and reparations are important for commemorating the Pan-African spirit. The Pan-African ideals of the 1960s have been revived with creative works such as Four Days in Faso, which advocates for better regional integration. Ken Opalo, for his part, calls for a new model of Pan-Africanism with tangible outcomes.

Mauritania’s Sidi Ould Tah has been elected to succeed Dr. Akinwumi Adesina as the President of the African Development Bank. On Thursday, Sidi won a strongly contested election amongst candidates such as Chad’s Abbas Mahamat, South Africa’s Swazi Tshabalala, Zambia’s Samuel Maimbo, and Senegal’s Amadou Hott. Recently, Adesina urged his successor to represent Africa with integrity and boldness, especially in this moment of global shifts in international politics.

• Koyo Kouoh, the first African woman to curate the Venice Art Biennale, will be honoured posthumously at 2026 exhibition. Koyo, a Swiss-Cameroonian, was passionate about equity, visibility, and mentorship of African female artists in contemporary arts.
• In Nigeria, the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council is actively consulting with government officials to address security concerns in the Northern region.
• Colonel Assimi Goita, the military leader in Mali, recently disbanded all political parties after human rights groups accused his government of detaining opposition figures. Additionally, government officials are quoted to have suggested an extended presidential term for Assimi till 2023, and shortly after, protests erupted in Bamako
• Naomi Oyoe Ohene Oti, a cancer care nurse from Ghana, has won the 2025 Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award. Naomi has been recognized for her outstanding contributions to oncology nursing, including initiating specialized training programs and actively participating in nursing cancer care policymaking efforts in Ghana and across Africa.
• More on Ramaphosa's visit to the United States: While critics argue that President Ramaphosa missed an opportunity to highlight longstanding  land reform issues in South Africa, his visit sparked broader conversations about South Africa’s soft power on the global stage and persistent concerns regarding racial inequality.

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Image: Africa Flag Map. 29 July 2023. Photo credit: Adit5776, CC BY-SA 4.0