Tricontinental Conference opens in Havana

Malawi became independent from British rule. Political independence expanded African representation in continental institutions, while the colonial economy and inherited borders continued to shape the...

At the OAU’s first ordinary summit, heads of state adopted decisions addressing apartheid and support for liberation movements. The diplomatic position reflected an uneven but consequential effort...

Zambia became independent with Kenneth Kaunda as president. Its position on the frontline of white minority rule in southern Africa made it a key host and supporter of liberation movements, while...

The Gambia achieved independence from Britain. Its transition added another sovereign African state to continental diplomacy, although political sovereignty did not by itself undo colonial economic...

At its Accra session, the OAU Assembly considered the Liberation Committee’s report and adopted a resolution on its structure. The committee coordinated assistance to liberation movements, but its...

While Nkrumah was abroad, military and police officers overthrew his government. The coup weakened Ghana’s role as a hub for pan-African organizing and exposed the vulnerability of state-led unity...

Botswana became independent from Britain. Its new sovereignty joined a still-expanding set of African states, while the region remained structured by apartheid South Africa and colonial rule in...

Lesotho became independent from Britain. Its position as an enclave surrounded by apartheid South Africa shaped the material and political limits of sovereignty and later regional solidarity.

The OAU Council of Ministers adopted a resolution concerning the Coordinating Committee for the Liberation of Africa. The document shows how continental diplomacy formalized support for national...

Mauritius became independent from Britain. The new state entered a continent-wide political landscape where sovereignty, labor rights and economic dependence remained intertwined; its multiethnic...