A lecture to commemorate the 60th Independence Anniversary of the Peoples Democratic Republic of Algeria was held in Accra on Tuesday.
It had the theme: Africa‘s struggle for total emancipation and development: Leveraging diplomacy and the experience of the Algerian liberation war.
The event attended by foreign diplomats, friend and sympathisers of Algeria, Ghanaians who studied in Algeria, students of the Islamic University College, academics, Pan-Africanists and government officials led by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Mr Kwaku Apratwum-Sarpong.
The 60th anniversary marks severing of ties from France after 132 years of colonisation.
The Algerian Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Ali Redjel, in an address reiterated Algeria’s commitment to continue support to Ghana’s development in the area of political, education, energy, transport, trade and investment justice, technical and cultural cooperation.
He stated that, the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Algerian President Abdelmajid Tebboune, are committed to strengthening cooperation and partnership beyond the level of historical relations, friendship and solidarity that existed between the two countries.
He recalled that the long standing cordial ties and solidarity started since the outbreak of the National Liberation war of November 1, 1954, when the Ghana’s first President Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah recognised the provisional government of the Algerian Republic as soon as it was created in 1958.
Further, Ambassador Redjel said following the aspiration of the two brotherly peoples, President Ben Bella paid an official visit to Ghana in 1964 which marked a new era of the presidential visits between the two countries.
“Algeria has always been side by side with Ghana in most difficult moments, pointing out that in 1980, our country supported bravely the Ghanaian government with 200,000 tons of crude oil to the benefit of the brotherly Ghanaian people to ease the economic burden, due to the oil crisis of the 80s.”
Algeria, he said, “also contributed in the construction of a school called School of “1st November 1954”.
Consequently, Mr Redjel said the post pandemic situation, conflicts and climate change show how both countries need a new start to their relationships, with new perspectives for a mutual and beneficial co-operation, which endorses the willingness of the two governments to achieve their own objectives for the benefit of their two peoples.
The Chairman of the occasion, Mr Kwasi Pratt, a Pan- Africans called on African leaders to pool their resources to liberate the continent from dependence on their colonial masters, since African had almost the natural resources it needs for self-reliance.
He said the conflicts in the Sahel region of African was gradually becoming a security threat and called on the leaders to find a solution to it to ensure peace and security of the African people for national development.
Mr Apratwum-Sarpong delivered a solidarity message on behalf of President Nana Akufo-Addo and the people of Ghana.
BY NORMAN COOPER
