Ibn Chambas Urges Africans to Defend Their Dignity
African Union High Representative for Silencing the Guns, Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, urged Africans on Saturday, December 6, to stand up and defend their dignity, heritage and identity, warning the continent is becoming too timid.
Speaking at a commemorative symposium marking his 75th birthday at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Accra, the former ECOWAS and United Nations diplomat assessed Africa’s global position, highlighting centuries of exploitation, racism and marginalisation.
“We are becoming too timid even to defend our dignity as African people. It is not acceptable,” Dr Chambas said, urging citizens, intellectuals, policymakers and cultural leaders to reclaim the narrative of African history.
He added, “We have been victims of colonialism, of slavery, neo‑colonialism today, racism in North America and Europe… We are the victims deeply affected. It is not acceptable, and it is about time that we started standing up to defend our dignity as an African people.”
Dr Chambas commended institutions such as the Pan‑African Heritage Museum, describing their work as essential in protecting and projecting the African personality. “We must begin to defend our history, our heritage, and not allow others to demean us as a people,” he urged, noting that current global trends make such efforts more urgent than ever.
He outlined a broader vision for African progress rooted in unity, respect for human rights, stability and the full utilisation of the continent’s demographic and natural wealth. “We’re not asking much. We just want to live in our countries peacefully, in dignity, in stability, with people’s rights respected, and to prosper our continent by harnessing our tremendous resources, our youth and women who have such vitality, such dynamism,” he said.
Expressing optimism, Dr Chambas said that a shared commitment to solidarity and self‑determination could build a future worthy of African aspirations. “If we are all united in this, we can, together, make Africa a better continent for our generations and generations yet to come,” he stated.
He concluded by thanking the attendees, calling their presence “an affirmation of our collective will to fight for a dignified and prosperous Africa.”
About Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas
Born in Bimbilla, northern Ghana, Dr Chambas attended Mfantsipim School and Tamale Secondary School before earning a BA in Political Science from the University of Ghana in 1973. He later obtained a Master’s (1977) and PhD (1980) from Cornell University, and a JD from Case Western Reserve University, qualifying to practice law in Ghana and Ohio.
Throughout his career, he has shaped peace processes in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, The Gambia, Sudan and the Sahel, and strengthened institutions at ECOWAS, ACP, the AU and UN‑OWAS. Known for his warmth, patience, humour and unwavering belief in the African people, Dr Chambas remains a leading voice for peace and dignity across the continent.
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