1963 – OAU Precursor Conference Unites Africa’s Leaders

On May 19, 1963, African leaders convened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to finalize plans for the historic formation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), which would be formally established on May 25. Spearheaded by Ethiopia’s Emperor Haile Selassie, this pre-summit conference gathered leaders from newly independent African nations to strategize against neocolonialism and build continental solidarity. The groundwork laid that day helped institutionalize Pan-Africanism as a governing philosophy, uniting liberation efforts in Algeria, Angola, and Mozambique. Though May 25 is more widely recognized as Africa Day, the key diplomatic engagements on May 19 were crucial to shaping the OAU’s pro-liberation and anti-apartheid mission. This day marked a turning point in asserting Africa’s collective agency on the world stage, resonating far beyond the continent’s borders.