Ambassador Amokrane Calls for Economic Independence as Algeria Wins Top Pan-African Prize

The Ambassador of Algeria to Uganda, H.E. Mourad Amokrane, has received the “Most Distinguished Pan-African of All Times Award” at the 8th Pan-African Pyramid Global Awards and 11th Anniversary Dinner held at Fairway Hotel, Kampala.

The event, graced by Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, Minister of East Africa Affairs, and a host of other dignitaries, recognized Algeria’s historic and ongoing contribution to Africa’s liberation struggles, unity, and socio-economic transformation.

Ambassador Amokrane accepted the award on behalf of the Algerian people, dedicating it to the 1.5 million martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the struggle for Algeria’s independence from colonial rule. He emphasized that Algeria’s victory over colonialism served as a beacon of hope for oppressed peoples worldwide.

Ambassador of Algeria to Uganda H.E. Mourad Amokrane receives the award from Bishop Joshua Maponga who was among the guests, August 30 2025. PHOTO BY ALEX MASEREKA JOEL

“Algeria’s independence will be incomplete as long as even one African country remains under colonial rule,” Amokrane quoted Algeria’s first President, Ahmed Ben Bella, in a reminder of Algeria’s long-standing support for liberation movements across Africa. From the ANC in South Africa to FRELIMO in Mozambique, and SWAPO in Namibia, Algiers became a hub for revolutionary movements from the 1950s to the 1970s.

The Ambassador further underlined Algeria’s role as a founding pillar of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union (AU), and its continued push for economic self-determination.

“We cannot talk of political independence while our economies remain chained to the same powers that colonized us,” he said, stressing Algeria’s advocacy for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), food sovereignty, and energy security.

He highlighted Algeria’s peacebuilding role across the continent, from the Sahel to the Great Lakes region, noting that Africa’s future lies in economic independence and the empowerment of its youth.

In a passionate appeal to the younger generation, Amokrane urged Africa’s majority youth population to embrace unity, innovation, and self-confidence to lead the continent into a new era of dignity and prosperity.

The envoy also praised the vision of the Pan-African Pyramid under Andrew Irumba’s leadership, describing it as a platform that promotes Pan-African ideals through research, debate, and grassroots mobilization.

Quoting revolutionary thinker Frantz Fanon, Amokrane concluded: “Each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it. Let us, the sons and daughters of Africa, not betray our mission.”