AFRICA LIBERATION DAY- 25TH MAY HOW IS IT COMMEMORATED IN THE GAMBIA AND HOW SHOULD IT BE COMMEMORATED?

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of Ghana’s Independence was meaningless unless it was linked to the total liberation of the African continent. The Africa Liberation Committee provided training to liberation movements, supplied them with weapons and helped to resettle the young people who were identified by these movements in neighbouring countries where they could gain their education and training. To focus attention to the de-colonisation process, 25th May was declared Africa Liberation Day. During this day those who attained Independence   were to assess how far they had gone in building free and self reliant nations which could ensure self-determined development and further reflect on the plight of those still under the colonial yoke. Now that the effect of colonialism is kept alive only because of the incapacity of many African Governments to build self reliant and tyranny free countries, it is time to stop using our colonial experience as an excuse for demonstrated incapacity to build self reliant economies and a deliberate policy of keeping the people ignorant of their sovereign power to be the determinant of representation in government. The theme of this year’s commemoration should be “from the fragmented Africa of sovereign poor countries to the united Africa of the free, dignified and sovereign people African people.” In The Gambia the future is being prepared for by mobilising youths to celebrate the birthday of the president and not to engage in stocktaking regarding how far we have gone to attain the goals of national liberation. Youths at the Gambia college who are attacking colonialism and close their eyes to the incapacity of the state to empower the people to become sovereign rulers of the country under whom leaders serve as servants rather behave like subjects to be ruled, should re-read their history books and stop paying lip service to national liberation. There can be no national liberation without prosecuting the democratic revolution to its ultimate conclusion of assuring the sovereignty of the African people in all countries. This is the task of the twenty first century.  ]]>