Haile Selassie: African Liberation Day Speech (1965)

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African Liberation Day

Speech by Haile Selassie on May 26, 1965

The first conference of the independent African states was held in
Accra, Ghana, on April 15, 1958. It was decided then to celebrate
this historic day as African Freedom Day. Until recently, April 15
was celebrated throughout our continent as African Freedom Day.
However, two years ago today in May the Summit Conference of the
Independent African States, which was convened in Our Capital City of
Addis Ababa, decreed that May 25, the day on which the historic
Charter of the Organization of African Unity was signed, be
celebrated every year as African Liberation Day. Accordingly today is
celebrated as African Liberation Day.

The African Unity Charter was signed two years ago today. Within this
brief period much has been accomplished that augurs well for African
Unity. In accordance with the resolution of the first Assembly of
African Heads of State and Government held in Cairo last year, the
headquarters of the Organization of African Unity has been
established here in Addis Ababa. Under its Secretary-General, His
Excellency Mr. Diallo Telli, of Guinea, the Organization is
successfully discharging its responsibilities and commitments.

The Ethiopian people, who have struggled and made untold sacrifices
for their independence and freedom for thousands of years an
independence that has been a beacon for all of Africa today celebrate
this day together with all Africans by consolidating their freedom
and independence with the freedom and independence of their African
brothers in the spirit of Modern Ethiopianism.

This year, two sister African states Zambia and Gambia have won
independence and they have joined the family of independent African
states. We share their joy and we extend again, as we did on the
occasion when they won their independence, Our sincere felicitations.
We are anxiously awaiting the day when those Africans in the
dependent territories break the shackles of foreign tutelage, and
become masters of their own fate.

On this solemn day, all of us must pause and remember the plight of
our African brothers who are under foreign rule and who are
desperately struggling to win their freedom, their basic fundamental
human rights. Instead of granting their rightful freedom and
independence to the indigenous Africans in Angola, Mozambique and
Portuguese Guinea, the Portuguese Govemment has intensified even more
its campaign of ruthless suppression of African freedom fighters in
these territories, under the outmoded, illogical pretext that these
territories are part of Portugal. In concert with the other African
members of the United Nations Organization, Ethiopia has never ceased
advocating at United Nations and other international conferences that
the Portuguese Government should grant independence to each and every
territory under its rule.


Rhodesia

The United Nations Anti-Colonial Committee of which Ethiopia is a
member, is presently visiting Africa to follow closely the dangerous
situation in Southern Rhodesia. In South Africa and in South-West
Africa, the policies of apartheid and oppression are becoming
increasingly unbearable. The South African Government is accelerating
its ruthless campaign: a methodical campaign of arresting daily,
detaining without trial and torturing the Africans and their leaders
who are struggling for the their fundamental human rights and
freedom. All the peace-loving countries of the world must act
together to force the colonial governments of South Africa and
Portugal to desist from these policies - policies which are inhuman,
policies which deny basic human rights, policies which are
detrimental to the peace and security of the entire world and grant
independence and freedom to these oppressed people.


To the UN

The Assembly of the African Heads of State and Government has
authorized the Foreign Ministers of Senegal and Algeria to bring the
cases of racial discrimination and oppression in South Africa, the
inhuman colonial rule of the Portuguese Government and the dangerous
situation in Southern Rhodesia, before the Security Council of the
United Nations to find permanent solutions to the unrelenting
struggles of the African governments and people. As a result the
entire world is today more conscious of these pressing problems.

 From discussions in the United Nations in recent years, We have
cause to believe that some friendly nations fully support the efforts
to impose an economic boycott on South Africa and Portugal; it is
unfortunate that some great powers who have been entrusted with the
maintenance of international peace and security have not co-operated
inthese worthy efforts. These powers are the main obstacles to an
effective economic boycott of South Africa and Portugal.

The establishment of the Organization of African Unity, the concerted
action of the member-states and the pooling of the aid to Our
brethren African freedom fighters, have helped to revive and
strengthen as well as intensify the liberation movements throughout
Africa. For this we are grateful to the Liberation Committee of the
nine African States, of which Ethiopia is a member. On this day, we
should all recollect with gratitude the support of all those friendly
nations in our endeavour in the United Nations and other
international conferences to free Africa of all the colonial
vestiges.


Next Assembly

It will be recalled that the Cairo Assembly of the Heads of State and
Government decided to convene the Second Assembly of the Heads of
State and Government in Accra, Ghana, in September this year. Because
of misunderstandings among certain member states of the Organization
of African Unitys voices have been occasionally raised recently
against the convocation of the Assembly in Accra. Nonetheless, the
regular Assembly of the Heads of State and Government was, in the
first place, designed to find peaceful solutions, through
deliberations and frank exchange of views to such misunderstandings
among member-states. We believe, therefore, that any change in the
venue of the next Assembly will make no major difference.
Consequently we have dispatched our Minister of State for Foreign
Affairs to West Africa, with personal messages from us, to mediate
vith the leaders of the West African states concerned.

We earnestly hope that the member-states of the organization of
African Unity will meet in Accra in September in accordance with the
decision of the first Assembly of the Heads of State and Government.
On this day, we extend our fraternal greetings to all our brethren
Africans who are still suffering under foreign colonial rule. We
reiterate that Ethiopia, in co-operation with the member-states of
the Organization of African Unity, will always continue to give her
full support for their just struggles to win their inalienable rights
to freedom and independence, and to be masters of their own destiny.
May Almighty God assist us in these endeavours.

H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I
May 26, 1965


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