Africans Rising has renewed calls for a united and borderless Africa, warning that the continent risks remaining economically and politically vulnerable if African states continue operating in isolation.
In a statement released to mark African Liberation Day, the movement said the vision declared by African leaders in Addis Ababa in 1963 remains largely unfulfilled decades later. The organisation noted that while many African countries gained political independence, the continent is still struggling with neo-colonial influence, economic dependency, and divisions created by colonial borders.
The movement argued that the continued fragmentation of African states has weakened trade, slowed integration, and exposed ordinary citizens to unnecessary restrictions, especially at border points across the continent.
According to Africans Rising, many local traders and travellers continue to face harassment and movement barriers despite ongoing conversations around African integration and regional cooperation.
The organisation further said Africa’s vast resources continue to benefit foreign interests more than local populations, a situation it blamed partly on political systems that silence citizens and frustrate grassroots movements pushing for change.
As part of this year’s African Liberation Day activities, the movement said thousands of people across Africa and the diaspora were taking part in solidarity actions calling for justice, peace, dignity, and freedom of movement. More than 500 activities were expected to take place during the week-long mobilisation.
Through its Borderless Africa campaign, Africans Rising is advocating for free movement across the continent, including the introduction of a single African passport and common African citizenship.
It is also pushing for a common African currency, stronger continental security cooperation, integrated communication systems, and education models rooted in Pan-African history and identity.
The organisation called on Pan-Africanists and African leaders to intensify efforts toward achieving continental unity, saying time was no longer on Africa’s side.
“Our ancestors won political freedom. Our generation must achieve the total liberation and unification that will protect that political freedom and guarantee us economic independence,” the statement reads.
