Rabat – Ethiopia has awarded a Pan-African prize to Morocco’s late King Hassan II, recognizing his contributions to the establishment of the African Union and Pan-Africanism.
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed presented the award to the speaker of Morocco’s House of Representatives Rachid Talbi Alami on Tuesday in a ceremony held in the country’s capital Addis Ababa, news outlet FanaBC has reported.
The ceremony was part of the first African Youth Summit, which took place between October 29 and November 1.
The late monarch, who was one of the founding fathers of the Organization of African Unity, was renowned for his determination to defend the best interests of the continent, as well as to ensure the peace and prosperity of its people.
In addition to the late Moroccan sovereign, the Ethiopian PM presented awards to the families of 17 other late leaders, commemorating their contributions to the prosperity of the African continent.
The awarded leaders include Ethiopia’s Emperor Haile Selassie I, Zambia’s Kenneth Kaunda, Tanzania’s Julius Nyerere, Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, Guinea’s Ahmed Sekou Toure, and Mali’s Modibo Keita. Other awards went to Cote d’Ivoire’s Felix Hoffet Bounai and Senegal’s Leopold Sedar Senghor.
The four-day event brought together youth from across African countries, with the aim of strengthening pan-Africanist visions and promoting the best interests of the continent.
“African youth are the ones who engineer what Africa could become by realizing the continent’s potential and looking beyond where it is now,” said Ahmed on Twitter.
He highlighted the leaderships of “pioneers from the past,” saying that they have “exemplified Pan-Africanism” and “laid the groundwork for it.”
Highlighting Africa’s great potential, the Ethiopian Prime Minister entrusted African young leaders with “bringing Africa’s hope to fruition.”
