Johannesburg, South Africa – October 10, 2025:
Over two days of intense debate and intellectual exchange, leading African scholars, policymakers, diplomats, and youth representatives gathered at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg, for the 3rd African Union Studies Annual Symposium. The event, themed “AU and the New Scramble for Africa: Conflict, Reparations, and Resource Sovereignty,” confronted one of the most urgent questions of the 21st century: how Africa can reclaim control of its destiny amid growing global competition for its vast resources.
Co-organised by the University of Johannesburg’s Department of Politics and International Relations, the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC), and TrustAfrica (Dakar, Senegal), and supported by AUDA-NEPAD and ECOSOCC, the symposium brought together some of Africa’s most respected voices to reflect on the continent’s future under the framework of Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want.
Reclaiming Africa’s Agency in a Changing Global Order
Delivering the keynote address, H.E. Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, former Prime Minister of Niger and former CEO of the NEPAD Secretariat, warned that Africa stands at a historic crossroads.
“If Africa fails to act collectively, the continent risks repeating history under new terms of dependency. Our resources must fuel African prosperity — not external profit,” he said.
Dr. Mayaki’s message resonated across the panels, as participants examined how Africa’s vast mineral wealth, arable land, and youthful population have once again placed it at the centre of a “new scramble” involving both traditional Western powers and emerging economies such as China, India, and the Gulf States.
Several speakers noted that while partnerships and investments are welcome, the current wave of external interest often mirrors neo-colonial patterns of extraction, deepening inequality and undermining sovereignty.
The Push for Reparations and Historical Justice
A major highlight of the symposium was the focus on reparations, decolonial justice, and Africa’s moral claim for restitution.
Prof. Adeoye O. Akinola, symposium coordinator and Head of the African Union Studies Project at UJ, framed reparations not merely as financial compensation but as a moral and developmental necessity.
“Reparations are about justice, but also about restoring Africa’s capacity to decide its future — economically, politically, and culturally,” he noted.
Discussions extended beyond historical injustices to include climate reparations, foreign debt, and unequal trade relations.
Prof. Waris Attiya, UN Independent Expert on Foreign Debt, stressed that debt dependency remains a modern form of control.
“Every loan signed under unfair conditions is a new chain around Africa’s development,” she warned.
In parallel, Dr. Hesphina Rukato, former Deputy CEO of AUDA-NEPAD, urged African governments to connect reparations with domestic reform.
“We cannot demand justice abroad and ignore inequality at home,” she said.
Youth and Civil Society: The Heart of Africa’s Transformation
Youth voices featured prominently in the discussions.
Mpule Kgetsi, African Union Youth Ambassador for Southern Africa, called for a “youth-led movement for sovereignty and justice.”
“The future we are fighting for will be won by a generation that understands both the history and the power of innovation,” she said.
Panelists such as Princess Ndlovu from the University of Johannesburg and Katso Ramodia from Botswana emphasized the role of young Africans in resource governance, innovation, and continental advocacy.
Their message was clear — Africa’s demographic dividend must be transformed into a policy advantage, not a vulnerability.
From Talk to Action: Building a Sovereign Africa
Beyond academic reflection, the symposium aimed to produce tangible outcomes.
According to the organizers, key outputs will include:
- A policy brief with recommendations on reparations and resource sovereignty;
- The formation of a Community of Practice (CoP) linking scholars, AU institutions, and civil society actors;
- And a declaration calling for collective continental action toward equitable global governance.
In his closing remarks, Dr. Ebrima Sall, Executive Director of TrustAfrica, called the symposium a “Pan-African renaissance moment.”
“The question is not whether Africa can rise — it is whether Africa will rise together. We must reimagine cooperation, reclaim our voice, and redesign the structures of power that shape our lives,” he said.
A Call to Africa and Its Diaspora
One of the most compelling threads running through the two-day dialogue was the emphasis on global African unity — linking the continent, the diaspora, and Afro-descendants in the Caribbean and Americas.
Participants underscored that the African Union’s declaration of 2025 as the Year for Reparations and Recognition of People of African Descent must serve as a rallying point for collective action.
Speakers such as Prof. William Gumede (Wits University) and Dr. Makmid Kamara (International Fund for Public Interest Media) urged African media and institutions to own the narrative.
“We must tell our own stories and set our own agenda. The world listens to those who speak with a united voice,” said Dr. Kamara.
Conclusion: The Africa We Want
By the close of the symposium, one message rang clear: the new scramble for Africa must not repeat the past.
Instead, it should mark the rebirth of a confident, sovereign, and united continent, guided by the values of justice, accountability, and self-determination.
From the policy halls of the African Union to the innovation hubs led by Africa’s youth, the Johannesburg symposium reaffirmed a continental awakening — one determined to transform Africa’s resources into African prosperity.
“This gathering is more than a symposium,” concluded Prof. Akinola. “It is a statement — that Africa knows its worth, its power, and its future.”
By: Tanguy Biang. Impulsradio & Television Africa News Desk
Photography & Video Production: ImpulsMedia Production Team
