Heads of State, diplomats, and Pan-African advocates from across the continent are set to converge on Ghana’s capital from October 20 to 21 to mark the 80th anniversary of the Fifth Pan-African Congress under the theme, “From Historical Memory to Economic and Political Justice – Uniting Pan-African Progressive Forces.”

Organised by the Pan-African Progressive Front (PPF), the conference, scheduled for the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) at the University of Ghana, Legon, will focus on Africa’s demand for reparative justice, unity, and economic liberation.

Ghana’s President, John Dramani Mahama, who serves as the African Union’s Champion on Reparations, will deliver the keynote address, lending both political weight and moral authority to the international gathering.

Speaking at a press briefing in Accra on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, a member of the Coordinating Committee of the Pan-African Progressive Front, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, said, “Efforts are being made to secure the participation of the leadership of the Alliance of Sahel States, and we are expecting His Excellency President Ibrahim Toure of Burkina Faso to also address this meeting.

“We are especially grateful to President John Dramani Mahama for graciously accepting to address the meeting. This, for us, is of particular importance given that President Mahama is the AU Champion on Reparations and has committed himself to pursuing the agenda of Africa’s founding fathers,” he noted.

Mr Pratt added: “Dear friends, this conference is not just an echo of the past; it is a positive re-gathering of Africans to reassert their rights in a world shaped against their dreams of freedom from all forms of poverty, devastation, and the unbridled exploitation of their resources. Africa cannot continue to be a spectator in the world theatre.”

According to him, the conference will offer an opportunity to rekindle the vision of the founding fathers of African unity, including Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Patrice Lumumba, and Modibo Keita.

He further noted that the meeting would serve as a convergence point for a broad spectrum of African voices — from political parties and labour unions to youth and women’s movements — united by the common goal of freeing the continent from the stranglehold of neocolonialism.

The conference results will culminate in the signing of the Accra Declaration, which will define Africa's future for decades.

“In all, we expect participation from political parties of different persuasions, trade unions, youth and student movements, peasant and women’s organisations, and a broad range of other mass-based organisations from across 50 countries in Africa and the Caribbean,” he disclosed.

The long list of Pan-Africanists expected to grace the occasion includes Comrade Ibn Jim, General Secretary of the Metal Workers’ Union of South Africa; Professor Ikea Bichu, a lecturer at the University of Cape Coast, gender and trade union expert, and current Chairperson of the National Media Commission of Ghana; and Dr Gamal Nasser Adam, immediate past Vice-President of the Islamic University.

In the build-up to the event, the PPF has intensified public engagement on the reparations discourse through nationwide forums and lectures, including a series at the University of Ghana and Accra Technical University. These sessions, according to Mr Pratt, are designed to “rekindle Africa’s consciousness of its unfinished liberation struggle.”

The two-day international conference will also highlight discussions on debt cancellation, the restitution of looted African artefacts, and the creation of a new economic model that places African development at the centre of global justice.