PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar has sent a message of congratulations to the people of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) on the occasion of its 50th anniversary.

In a message to His Excellency Hailemariam Desalegn, Chairman of the African Union, President Ramotar said this is a celebration of the unity and aspirations of the peoples of the continent.
The message continues:

The last five decades have tested the will and resolve of the African people to integrate the economies and politics of the region. The leaders in the OAU and its predecessor the AU have consistently pushed for a united, peaceful and prosperous Africa.

I would also like to take this opportunity to wish for a very successful African Union Summit which is being held under the theme “Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance”. I trust that the deliberations will advance further the interests and aspirations of the people of the African Continent.

Guyana shares deep ties with Africa.  It was peoples from Africa who were forcibly enslaved that broke our land and made it habitable for our social and economic activities. These are bonds that have gone back for centuries and cannot be broken as appointments can.

We shared many struggles against colonialism and other forms of oppression like apartheid.

Over the years since independence we have worked closely with Africa through our shared membership of the United Nations, the Commonwealth, the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of countries, the Non-Aligned Movement and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in advancing and consolidating our positions on issues of interest and concern to us as developing countries.

In the years ahead we are ready to strengthen our collaboration at both bilateral and multilateral levels as we pursue our common goals of peace and prosperity of our peoples.

As you celebrate this significant milestone in the history of the African Union, I wish to reaffirm the bonds of solidarity and friendship that exist between the Guyanese and African peoples.

Donald Ramotar
President of the Republic of Guyana”