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Africa celebrates May 25 as the Day of Africa every year.

On May 25 1963, the Organization of African Unity was founded at a meeting of heads of over 30 African countries which had put an end to outside forces’ colonial rule and achieved independence.

The OAU played an important role in strengthening unity and solidarity among African countries, defending sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence and developing cooperative relations in all domains of politics, the economy and culture.

In the early 21st century, the organization was renamed the African Union. At present, the union has grown and developed into a continent-wide organization with 55 member states and a prestigious international group struggling for the interests of the African people.

Now the African countries are making unprecedentedly strenuous efforts to put an end to the long-standing foreign interference and inequality and build an independent new society, a new Africa.

In recent years, the African countries, which would often fall prey to the neo-colonial policy of the West, have dauntlessly risen against the domination and interference by foreign forces in the trend of the times towards multipolarization.

In November last year, the Senegalese president asserted that his country is an independent state and that the sovereignty of the state is incompatible with the existence of a foreign military base, resolutely demanding the withdrawal of the French troops. And the governments of different countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Chad and Niger, are driving troops of the US and the West out of their territories.

Besides, the African countries set independent economic development as the top priority task and have put spurs to carrying it out, achieving remarkable successes.

In mid-February this year the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on the theme of "Justice for Africans and people of American origin through reparations".

The meeting, attended by 12 000 personages including heads of state and government of 55 countries and heads of different international organizations, adopted a historic resolution to define the slavery, forcible removal and colonialism committed by colonialists against the African people as unethical crimes and massacres.

The achievements made in the course of implementing the 2063 roadmap for the future development of Africa were also introduced and the issues of further accelerating it were stressed. This roadmap is a long-term action plan to make Africa an integrated, prosperous and peaceful continent, whose development is promoted by the African people themselves and which represents a powerful force in the world arena, by 2063, the centenary of the founding of the OAU.

African countries are strengthening mutual cooperation according to the long-term plan.

United efforts have been made to overcome all kinds of challenges that hinder the prosperity of the continent through the implementation of the African free trade agreement, the improvement of the educational system for the effective use of human resources, the prioritization of technology and sustainable development.

According to the African Development Bank, the rate of economic growth in Africa last year was 3.7%, which was higher than the world average, and it has risen to 4.3% this year. Thus Africa is expected to become the second fast developing region in the world after Asia.

It is the stand of the African people that their continent has huge potential for development and that it can achieve development and prosperity with African countries’ united efforts. The African people are making constant efforts to realize their strong desire for independent development and prosperity.