President Museveni Champions African Unity at Ateker Reunion Festival in Soroti

Ugqnda’s President Yoweri Museveni and First Lady Janet Museveni officially opened the Ateker Reunion Festival, welcoming H.E. Hailemariam Desalegn, former Prime Minister of Ethiopia, alongside other high-ranking delegates and cultural leaders.

The three-day festival, now underway in Soroti City, brings together Ateker communities from across the Great Lakes and the Horn of Africa to celebrate their shared heritage and unity. They include; Uganda, Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania and Ethiopia.

Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Uganda H.E Etsegenet Yimenu (R) waves the country’s flag as she welcomes Ateker from the Horn of Africa nation

In his keynote address, President Museveni reflected on Africa’s rich diversity, referencing Acts 17:26-27 from the Bible, which states that God created different peoples and assigned them specific territories.

He outlined the linguistic families that define Africa’s cultural landscape, including the Niger-Congo, Nilo-Saharan, Afro-Asiatic, and Khoisan groups. The Ateker people, he said, belong to the Nilo-Saharan linguistic cluster.

President Museveni underscored three critical missions for African development and resilience:

1. Ensuring prosperity for all Africans,

2. Securing the continent strategically, and

3. Fostering “Undugu,” or fraternity, among African peoples.

“The Ateker people’s initiative is a reminder of the unity we must embrace as Africans,” he said. “By reconnecting across colonial borders, you are taking an essential step toward reclaiming the brotherhood and harmony that God intended for us.”

The festival celebrates the Ateker people’s cultural and historical ties, serving as a platform to promote unity and dialogue across communities in the region. It aligns with Pan-Africanist goals to strengthen African solidarity, cultural preservation, and mutual understanding.

Participants at the festival are taking part in cultural exhibitions, discussions, all aimed at fostering greater cohesion among Ateker communities and beyond.