East African Gazette
Ethiopia
The African Union (AU) has honored the late President of Tanzania Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, with a commemorative statue as a tribute to his significant contributions to Pan-Africanism and peace efforts.
The unveiling took place on February 18, 2024, as part of the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union held at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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The grand statue is positioned on a solid granite foundation that bears the profound words of Nyerere, dated October 22, 1959: “We would like to light a candle and put it on top of Mount Kilimanjaro which would shine beyond our borders giving hope where there was despair, love where there was hate and dignity where before there was only humiliation.”
The unveiling ceremony was graced by the presence of various African leaders, such as Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, the President of Tanzania, Hakainde Hichilema, the President of Zambia, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, the President of Mauritania, Major (rtd) Jessica Alupo, the Vice President of Uganda representing President Yoweri Museveni, João Lourenço, the President of Angola, Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, the President of Zimbabwe, Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa, the President of South Africa, William Ruto, the President of Kenya, Pravind Jugnauth, the Prime Minister of Mauritius, and Ahmed Abiy, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, among other distinguished guests.
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The former Tanzanian leader and Pan-Africanist, who served as the first Prime Minister of independent Tanganyika in 1961 and later became the first President of Tanzania in 1964, now stands among the esteemed collection of monuments at the AU Headquarters.
Other statues include that of the Ghanaian Pan-Africanist Kwame Nkrumah, unveiled in 2012, and Emperor Haile Selassie, unveiled in 2019.
They were also recognized and celebrated for their valuable contributions to the Organisation of the AU (OAU).
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This year’s 37th AU summit was held under the theme: “Educate an African fit for the 21st Century: Building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning in Africa”.
Nyerere held the belief that the main objective of education is to impart accumulated wisdom and knowledge to individuals, aligning with values like self-sufficiency, critical awareness, fairness, social equity, and the betterment of society.
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During the unveiling of the statue, Musa Faki Mahamat, the chairperson of the AU Commission, acknowledged Nyerere’s extraordinary leader’s legacy which embodies the core principles of Pan-Africanism, deep wisdom, and dedication to Africa.
He noted that Nyerere, in his roles as a teacher and a peacemaker, significantly contributed as a mediator in various African conflicts, notably the situation in Burundi.
“He remained a wise statesman who gave his counsel and advice selflessly to our Union until the end of his life,” he noted.