African Liberation Movements Vow Unity Against Western Interference

By Staff, Agencies

Liberation movements from six African nations convened in Johannesburg over the weekend, reaffirming their unity in the face of what they described as a renewed Western agenda to divide and dominate the continent.

The gathering, hosted in Kempton Park, South Africa, brought together ruling parties that once led their countries’ anti-colonial struggles and now serve as governing political forces.

The summit focused on resisting neo-colonialism and protecting the democratic and developmental achievements won through decades of struggle. Delegates emphasized that recent Western political and economic actions—particularly sanctions—represent a continued effort to destabilize African governments and reverse gains made since independence.

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, representing ZANU-PF, criticized ongoing Western sanctions and accused external powers of seeking to eliminate liberation movements from the political landscape. “We must remain emboldened by our rich liberation history,” he declared. “We defeated them in the past, and we shall defeat them again and again… Victory is always certain.”

Namibia’s President and leader of SWAPO, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, echoed this sentiment, warning that political and economic conspiracies aimed to erode the strength of liberation movements and ultimately unseat them from power. She cautioned that these efforts were motivated by foreign interests seeking to extract Africa’s wealth.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, representing the African National Congress [ANC], urged the movements to resist the normalization of colonial legacies.

He reminded the summit that the liberation struggle extended beyond political freedom, encompassing economic, cultural and intellectual emancipation as well.

Ramaphosa highlighted the historic role of international solidarity, particularly the Organization of African Unity’s Liberation Committee, in supporting the anti-apartheid and decolonization campaigns.

The summit concluded with the ANC handing over the chairmanship to Tanzania’s Chama Cha Mapinduzi [CCM], which will host the next gathering. The event closed with a collective call to resist external manipulation and uphold a unified African vision rooted in the legacy of liberation.