Zambia becomes independent

Women activists establish the continental organization in Dar es Salaam to support liberation struggles and advance women’s political participation. Its founding counters histories that treat...

Thirty-two independent African states establish the OAU in Addis Ababa. Its charter commits members to African unity, sovereignty and the eradication of colonialism. The date also became Africa...

The two states unite to form the United Republic of Tanzania. The union reflected an influential, though contested, Pan-African commitment to political cooperation and became a base for supporting...

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...

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...

Delegates from Africa, Asia and Latin America meet to coordinate solidarity against colonialism, racism and imperialism. The conference widened Afro-Asian cooperation into a global South framework and...

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...