AFRICAN LIBERATION DAY 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 



"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are 
evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it."
 - Albert Einstein 
"
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change 
the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has."
- Margaret Mead 

"When the government fears the people, you have liberty. When the people fear 
the government, you have tyranny." 
- Thomas Jefferson

"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing" 
- Edmund Burke

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