By Bukar Mohammed Atiyaye

Pan-Africanism is a global movement aimed at encouraging and strengthening unity between all Africans, including those in diaspora that are of African descent. It promotes peace and prosperity while boldly stressing that Africans don’t only share a common history, but a common destiny, and that unity of all those of African descent is needed for economic, social, and political progress.

Pan-Africanism, which can be traced since the 19th century, was initiated to constructively fight against enslavement and colonisation of the African people. The movement recorded a massive success, one of which was giving birth to the Organisation of African Unity, OAU (later The African Union, AU).

Today, it can be said boldly that the initial goal of Pan-Africanism against enslavement and colonisation has been achieved. Emphasis has now shifted to promoting unity and solidarity of African states, to spur economic development, and to stimulate international cooperation. The Agenda 2063 of the African Union gave us all we need when it comes to Pan-Africanism: drive for unity, self-determination, freedom, progress and collective prosperity of the African people. In its precise term, the Agenda envisions: “An integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens, representing a dynamic force in the international arena”.

The vision of Agenda 2063, as quoted above, can be fully realised through collective efforts of the African states. There have been practical contributions that are commendable and encouraged, made by African states to their counterparts. Egypt, for example, has a long history of strong advocacy of Pan-Africanism which can be traced back from the time of the late President Gamal Abdulnaseer. Until today, under the leadership of President Abdulfatah Al-sisi, the spirit of Pan-Africanism has been geared up where the country has continued playing key roles in the areas of peace and security, education, humanitarian affairs, cultural affairs, etc., across the African continent.

I personally think it is high time all the strong African countries emulated Egypt in supporting their African counterparts; that is surely a promising way of attaining vision 2063: united we stand, divided we fall

Narrowing the scope by taking South Sudan as a very good example.

South Sudan is the most recent sovereign state and has gained widespread recognition both in the continental and global arena. It is also one of the youngest nations in the world, with half of its about 12 million people under 18 years old.

Egypt has become a very caring partner to South Sudan, and many other African countries, in the spirit of Pan-Africanism. Egypt has literally touched every sector in the recovery and development of South Sudan. Education, peace and security, empowerment, agriculture, humanitarian affairs, to mention but a few.

In recent time, under the ambassadorship of Mohamed Kadah, who has been regarded by many as the ambassador of Egypt to the whole of Africa, a true pan-African who has taken the challenge of building African-African support beyond a joke, a lot has been remarkably achieved. Few of these are:

1. Supporting the Revitalised Peace Agreement: Egypt supports the implementation of the Revitalised Peace Agreement in Southern Sudan, as it sent military aid to South Sudan on board a number of Egyptian military aircraft, including 32,000 full military uniforms (14,000 full military uniforms in May 2020, and 18,000 in September and October 2019), in addition to 1000 tents, and 10 tons of various medicines and medical equipment as part of the Egyptian contribution to the establishment of troop assembly centers (cantons).

2. Egypt organised an air bridge to transport humanitarian aid to cope with the floods in Southern Sudan in September 2020, based on the directives of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and in response to President Salva Kiir’s declaration of the “state of emergency”, where the total volume of aid provided reached about 80 tons of food, tents and supplies. Food and medicine were dispatched on three shipments. The aid was received by Manawa Peter, Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources; Peter Mayan, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs; Dinai Shagur, Governor of Jonglei State; and Joshua Kony, President of Pibor District Administration; and Agok McCur, Deputy Minister of Finance. Egypt also sent humanitarian aid on March 1, 2020, on board two military aircraft, according to the directives of President El-Sisi, to alleviate the suffering of the southern citizens who were affected by the floods that struck the country, and the aid included 14 tons of medicine.

3. Medical aid to counter the Corona pandemic: – A shipment of medical aid to combat Coronavirus pandemic arrived on September 5, 2020, amounting to about 1.5 tons of gloves, sterile masks, goggles, medical shoes, and protective suits (estimated at about $100,000), within the framework of a pledge by the President, granting $ 4 million in aid to the African Fund to Combat Corona, by providing in-kind assistance to African countries (20 countries). The shipment was received by Elizabeth Ashoy, the Southern Minister of Health, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A shipment of medical aid arrived on June 6, 2020, and included 12 tons of disinfectants and medical supplies, as part of the Egyptian Ministry of Defense providing medical assistance to combat the Corona pandemic to 10 African countries, including South Sudan. Egypt provided two shipments of medical aid to Southern Sudan on board two Egyptian war effort planes on May 18 and 21, 2020, based on the directives of President El-Sisi, to combat the Corona pandemic. They included 11 tons of medicines in addition to 15 thousand protective suits and eight tons of baby milk.

4. Humanitarian aid to cope with floods: The Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development provided a shipment of relief aid on March 8, 2021, which included half a ton of medicine to alleviate the human suffering in IDP centers in South Sudan, and the shipment was delivered to Mrs. Rebecca Garang, Vice President of South Sudan, who expressed her thanks and appreciation to the immediate response to their request for assistance. She also noted that Egypt was one of the first countries to respond to their needs.

5. And recently, in March 2021, Egypt has delivered yet another Patch of Humanitarian aid to the IDPs in South Sudan. The aid was issued by the ambassador of Egypt to South Sudan, Mohamed Kadah and was received by the Vice President Mama Rebecca Gerang. It doesn’t stop there. Targeting the displaced persons as a result of communal violence and floods, another massive assistance of 26 tons of food from the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development is on the way. It’ll similarly be handed over to VP Rebecca Gerang.

These are but a few examples -at my disposal- of humanitarian assistance over the last couple of years. And even more importantly, Egypt is a long-standing development partner of South Sudan, providing assistance in vital areas such as education, health care, training and capacity building, which would require a spectate article to elaborate. What is very unique about this is, Egypt has always been the first country to offer support to South Sudan whenever the need arises.

It is widely accepted that “behind every success is a great team and the core of every great team is a strong leader”. These were only possible under the passionate and sincere leadership/ambassadorship of Mohamed Kadah who pledged to tirelessly promote the Agenda of Egypt and that of President Alsisi by being a great support in the development of every country he’s assigned to, especially African countries.

I personally think it is high time all the strong African countries emulated Egypt in supporting their African counterparts. That is surely a promising way of attaining vision 2063.

“United we stand, divided we fall”.

*Atiyaye, a fellow of the Pan-Africa Summer School Egypt, wrote from Yobe State, Nigeria, via: bukardarulhaq@yahoo.com