Some of the African embassies in Jakarta have collaborated to hold an event to commemorate African Day, which marks the founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the precursor of the African Union, on May 25, 1963.
"This historical day, which is celebrated annually by Africans and African countries throughout the world, acknowledges the progress that we, as Africans, have made," South African Ambassador Pakamisa Augustine Sifuba stated on behalf of the African countries ambassadors to Indonesia here on Wednesday.
Besides South Africa, ten African countries --- Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sudan, Tunisia, and Zimbabwe --- have collaborated to hold the African Day celebrations in Jakarta.
As the representative of his colleagues, Ambassador Sifuba higlighted some progress achieved by the African Union in political, economic, and socio-cultural areas, which had started in the early 1990s.
Peace and stability prevails in most African countries that allow them to experience inclusive and resilient economic growth at an average rate of five percent in the last decade that has helped Africa to forge ahead with the "Emerging Asia" as one of the most dynamic economies globally.
"Today, many are calling Africa as a continent on the move," Sifuba noted.
In terms of cooperation with Indonesia, Sifuba said the relations between African countries and Indonesia have a long-standing history marked by the Bandung Conference in April 1955, a liberation movement of the Asian and African nations.
In 2016, or sixty years after the Bandung Conference, African countries and Indonesia have established business partnerships on a win-win basis that surpass the traditional trade vision.
"This could be one of the pillars of future economic relations between Indonesia and African countries," Sifuba affirmed.
According to the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, the value of trade between Indonesia and African countries reached US$12 billion in 2014 and has since then shown a steady increase.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2016
