On May 27, Africa Day was celebrated in the Aula Magna of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski".

For the event, the ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions from Algeria, Egypt, Libya and Morocco, the Department of African Studies and Indo-Pacific Studies and the African-Caribbean Cultural Center at the Faculty of Classical and Modern Philology of Sofia University invited senior Bulgarian officials, ambassadors and diplomats, professors, journalists and students.

Africa Day is celebrated annually, and the African Union /AU/ - an active panafricane Organization striving to find African solutions to African problems, each time determining a specific theme. For 2025, it is "Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations", and the year has also been declared the African Year of Justice.

Africa Day in Sofia was opened with official greetings from Prof. Reneta Bojankova, Vice-Rector for International Affairs of Sofia University, H. E. Ms. Zakia El Midaoui, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Morocco to the Republic of Bulgaria and Dean of the Group of African Ambassadors and Heads of Missions accredited in our country, and Mr. Nikolay Pavlov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

In her speech, H. E. Ms. Zakia El Midaoui recalled what Africa Day means to Africans and what they expect for their future:

Today, we celebrate the 62nd anniversary of the creation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), founded on May 25, 1963, by the leaders of African states. In 2002 the African Heads of States and Governments replaced the OAU with the African Union (AU), following the signing on September 9, 1999, of the Sirte Declaration, which sets the objective of creating an African Union and recalls in its first lines the ideals of the founding fathers of this pan-African Organization.

This founding date, recognized as Africa Day, is, like all major milestones in history, a moment of collective pride, and also an invitation to reflect, to look ahead, and to commit to building the Africa we want; an Africa, we all hope, full of promise, restored dignity, and fully unleashed potential.

Sixty-two years after this historic moment of unity, Africa today celebrates not only its shared journey, but also its collective awareness of the unresolved challenges of the past. And it is in this spirit that the African Union has chosen a theme for 2025 that is at once solemn, demanding, and full of hope: "Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations."

Excellences, distinguished guests,

Africa is moving forward. It is not stuck in the past, but deeply rooted in the present, and fully engaged in transforming its future.

What we are promoting today is not a nostalgic demand: it is an aspiration for a more equitable order, based on economic and structural justice. The true reparations we seek are those that allow effective access to the tools of development, those that correct the imbalances inherited from the past through mechanisms of cooperation, knowledge transfer, access to technology, trade and financial reforms, which concretely benefit our economies and our peoples.

We firmly believe in the need to rethink partnerships and frame them in a spirit of reciprocity, mutual trust, and shared benefit. With the European Union and our other strategic partners, Africa aspires to a renewed dialogue focused on the creation of common values, shared innovation, and the emergence of sustainable and inclusive development models that are fairer and more resilient.

The transfer of successful experiences, the opening of markets, support for productive investments, and the consolidation of inclusive and good governance are all concrete avenues for translating the ideals of reparation into a mechanism of progress.

Excellences, distinguished guests,

On behalf of the African Ambassadors and the Heads of Missions accredited to Bulgaria, as well as the Honorary Consuls who are present among us today, I would like to warmly thank the officials and staff of Sofia University for their invaluable support in co organizing this celebration together with us.

Our thanks also go to all the individuals, institutions, and partners who contributed directly or indirectly to the success of this event, in particular the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria, as well as the Sofistik-Jivo company, the Lycée Lamartine, and the African drumming circle – Fouli BA, who animate the cultural and artistic component of this celebration.

God bless Africa and all our nations!

And I thank you all!

And the guests were truly surprised with a rich program of African music and dances. The musical group FOLI BA, the dance formation "Sophistic-Live" and the choir of the 9th French Language School "Alphonse de Lamartine" enlivened the atmosphere and created a festive mood in the evening.

And then all those present had the pleasure of trying traditional African cuisine, provided by the participating African embassies. They also enjoyed an exhibition of photos and works of African crafts, located in the central lobby of Sofia University.

Photos: "Diplomatic Spectrum"