The inaugural Party Congress of the All-African People's Revolutionary Party (A-APRP) came to a spectacular conclusion on 20 January 2023, with a closing ceremony at the African Party for Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) National Headquarters in the capital of Guinea-Bissau.
During the congress, various resolutions related to the A-APRP political line, ideology, structure and leadership were approved. Party delegates participated from Burkina Faso, Kenya, Ghana, Azania/South Africa, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Canada and the United States.
In addition to electing a new Central Committee, the congress voted to change the name of the A-APRPs ideology to Nkrumahism-Toureism-Cabralism. Adding the surname of Amilcar Cabral along with Kwame Nkrumah and Ahmed Sekou Toure. It serves as a formalized acknowledgement of Cabral as co-founder of the A-APRP along with Nkrumah, as well as Cabral's political imprint on the ideological and structural development of the A-APRP since its inception.
All A-APRP Congress attendees were also accepted as members into the PAIGC (which served as host of the congress) and provided with PAIGC membership cards. The new membership is a continuation of the over 50 year political relationship and cross-membership between the two political formations.
During the ceremony, the PAIGC launched their newly designed website www.paigc.gw. Comrade Dionisio provided an overview of the new features of the site, including member access and online registration for comrades both home and abroad.
The ceremony also launched the introduction of new biometric membership cards for PAIGC members. The first cards were printed in real-time for several comrades.
PAIGC President Domingos Simões Pereira presided over the closing ceremony and presented all A-APRP Congress delegates with gifts from the PAIGC.
Recording artist Bubacar Djamanca and performance group Belém, brought tremendous energy to the ceremony with spirited cultural performances.
A-APRP Congress delegates from other parts of the world, paid homage to the Local Organizing Committee in Guinea-Bissau, with a presentation of gifts and revolutionary thanks for a well-organized congress and Pan-African hospitality.
Delegates also celebrated the birthday of Congress Delegate and outgoing Central Committee member, Sobukwe Shukura, who was born on the same day, 20 January, that Cabral was assassinated (where one revolutionary is lost, another is born).
The closing ceremony of the five day congress, also coincided with the 50th Anniversary of the assassination of PAIGC founder, Amilcar Cabral in Guinea-Conakry on 20 January 1973. Congress delegates marched with PAIGC, JAAC (Juventude Africana Amílcar Cabral/Amilcar Cabral African Youth), UDEMU (União Democrática das Mulheres da Guiné-Bissau/Democratic Union of Guinean Women), OPAD (Organização dos Pioneiros Abel Djassi) along with schools students and workers from the PAIGC National Headquarters to the Cabral Mausoleum to pay respects and lay reefs.
Congratulations! A great historic milestone. Thank you for the work you do for Africa and African people.
This is a great step forward. The revolution will advance and build power in Africa not the diaspora however with energy, resource, support and organisation in and from the diaspora.
As an ex member of the AAPRP of 16 years in the UK, and someone who stands firm to the Unified Socialist Africa objective and all the tenants of Revolutionary Pan-Africanism, that the AAPRP taught me and is critical in attaining and maintaining that objective, I salute the PAIGC, AAPRP and all Revolutionary Pan-Africanist organisations on our continent.
However the programme of all Revolutionary Pan-Africanist organisations must also have in their programmes practical expressions that also address the every day needs of the people. As Cabral said, and i paraphrase “People don’t fight for ideas in their heads but for food in their belly”.
The primacy of Africa must be central to every programme, campaign and objective and must be expressed practically and ideologically. As Sekou Toure says “In order to achieve real action You must yourself be a living part of Africa and her thought”.
Any organisation fight for the peoples justice needs to be relevant to the people at any given time and be an organic extension of their realities, needs, aspirations, solutions and security. As the Chinese revolutionary wisdom says, an organiser in any Revolutionary Organisation must be behind the people learning from them, amongst the people sharing their challenges and in front of the people be the best example of what you preach.
Im far from all of the above but make my contribution the best i can in being WISE an acronym for Working Inspiring Supporting Encouraging within the context of networking to build the Revolutionary Pan-Africanist movement.
Long Live the PAIGC, Long live the AAPRP, Long live Nkrumah, Toure and Cabral and long live our individual and collective spirits to achieve a Unified Socialist Africa that will give protection and respect to Africans everywhere.
Congratulations, AAPRP Comrades! Forward Ever! Backward Never!
Great job and I agree with Rema and see some thebwork already unfolding. That congress was hard fought for many years.