Remarks	  made	  by	  H.E.	  Mr.	  ESTIFANOS	  Afeworki,	  Ambassador	  of	  the	  State	  of	  Eritrea	  to	  Japan	  and	  Dean	  of	  the	  African	  Diplomatic	  Corps	  (ADC)	  in	  Tokyo	  on	  the	  Occasion	  of	  Africa	  Day	  Reception	  May	  25,	  2016:	  -­‐Honorable Ichiro AISAWA, President of the Japan-AU Parliamentary Friendship League-­‐Honorable	  Manabu	  SAKAI,	  State	  Minister	  of	  Finance	  	  -­‐Honorable	  Seiji	  KIHARA,	  State	  Minister	  for	  Foreign	  Affairs,	  MOFA	   	  -­‐Honorable	  Tsuyoshi	  HOSHINO,	  Vice-­‐Minister	  of	  Economy,	  Trade	  and	  Industry,	  METI	  	  -­‐Honorable	  Hitoshi	  KIKAWADA,	  Parliamentary	  Vice	  Minister	  of	  MOFA	  	  -­‐Ambassador	  Norio	  MARUYAMA,	  Director	  -­‐General	  African	  Affairs	  Department	  MOFA	  	  -­‐Mr.	  Takio	  YAMADA,	  Director-­‐General,	  International	  Cooperation	  Bureau,	  MOFA	  	  -­‐Dr.	  David	  M.	  MALONE	  Rector	  of	  the	  United	  Nations	  University,	  Tokyo	  and	  Under-­‐Secretary-­‐General	  of	  the	  United	  Nations,	  	  -­‐	  Honorable	  Guests,	  Excellencies	  and	  Dear	  Colleagues	  -­‐	  Mina	  Sama	  Kombanwa	  Allow	   me	   to	   thank	   and	   express	   our	   deep	   felt	   gratitude	   to	   all	   our	   guests	   present,	   on	  behalf	  of	  all	  the	  heads	  of	  the	  African	  diplomatic	  missions	  here	  in	  Tokyo	  and	  myself,	  for	  taking	  time	  from	  your	  busy	  schedules,	  in	  honor	  of	  our	  invitation	  to	  attend	  the	  Africa	  Day	  Reception.	  
As	   you	   all	   know,	   Africa	   Day	   is	   the	   annual	   commemoration	   of	   the	   founding	   of	   the	  Organization	  of	  African	  Unity	  (OAU).	  We	  celebrate	  this	  day	  and	  remember	  the	  vision	  of	  the	  fathers	  and	  leaders	  of	  the	  first	  thirty	  of	  the	  thirty	  two	  free	  and	  independent	  states	  who	   signed	   the	   founding	   charter	   of	   OAU	   in	   Addis	   Ababa,	   Ethiopia,	   before	   fifty	   three	  years	  today,	  on	  May	  25,1963.	  The	  rise	  to	  independence	  in	  the	  60th	  in	  Africa	  was	  after	  a	  long	   process	   that	   began	   with	   resistance	   and	   struggle	   waged	   against	   European	  colonialism	   by	   the	   heroic	   peoples	   of	   Africa	   for	   centuries.	   It	   was	   because	   of	   this	   history	  that	  those	  30	  courageous	  fathers	  of	  Africa	  enshrined	  in	  the	  OAU	  charter	  the	  inalienable	  right	  of	  all	  Africans	  to	  control:	  own	  destiny,	  freedom,	  equality,	  justice	  and	  dignity	  as	  an	  essential	   objectives	   for	   the achievement	   of	   the	   legitimate	   aspirations	   of	   their	   countries	  and	  peoples.	  

1It	  is	  these	  wise	  men	  of	  Africa,	  through	  their	  vision,	  attested	  by	  their	  signature	  to	  the	  OAU	  charter	  that	  committed	  Africa	  to	  harness	  the	  natural	  and	  human	  resources	  of	  the	  continent	   for	   the	   total	   advancement	   of	   the	   peoples	   of	   Africa	   in	   all	   spheres	   of	   human	  endeavors.	  
Some	  African	  countries	  were	  granted	  independence	  on	  a	  silver	  platter	  because	  Europe	  was	  so	  devastated	  after	  World	  War	  II	  that	  it	  simply	  could	  not	  pay	  the	  bills	  of	  its	  colonial	  enterprises	   any	   longer.	   But	   many	   African	   countries	   had	   to	   wage	   war	   of	   liberations	  spearheaded	  by	  the	  Algerian	  revolution	  to	  get	  their	  independence.	  Their	  populations	  have	  to	  pay	  for	  their	  freedom	  dearly	  with	  their	  best	  sons	  and	  daughters’	  blood,	  sweat	  and	  tears.	  This	  is	  a	  special	  day	  for	  me	  also.	  One	  of	  these	  nations	  was	  my	  country	  Eritrea.	  
It	  won	  its	  independence	  before	  25	  years,	  celebrated	  yesterday,	  after	  30	  years	  of	  armed	  struggle	  against	  all	  odds	  created	  by	  the	  super	  powers.	  It	  was	  also	  today	  25	  years	  ago	  that	  a	  dedicated	  wave	  of	  compassion	  and	  demonstration	  for	  truth	  by	  people	  in	  the	  Horn	  of	  Africa,	  which	  included	  visionaries	  of	  every	  sex,	  race	  and	  creed,	  both	  from	  Eritrea	  and	  Ethiopia,	  that	  liberated	  Addis	  Ababa	  (the	  capital	  of	  Ethiopia)	  from	  the	  tyrannical	  rule	  of	  Mengistu	   and	   hegemony	   of	   USSR.	   25	   years	   has	   passed	   since	   Mandela	   release	   from	  prison	  and	  South	  Africa	  freedom	  day	  were	  celebrated.	  
Hence,	  on	  the	  outset	  of	  our	  Africa	  Day	  Reception,	  I	  would	  kindly	  ask	  all	  to	  observe	  a	  moment	   of	   silence	   now	   –	   to	   observe	   in	   memory	   of	   those	   heroic	   leaders,	   victims	   of	  colonialism	  and	  neo-­‐colonialism,	  fallen	  freedom	  fighters,	  as	  well	  as	  terror	  and	  genocide	  victims	  in	  the	  continent	  of	  Africa.	  
On	  this	  historic	  day,	  I	  would	  also	  like	  to	  express	  my	  gratitude	  and	  reiterate	  to	  all	  the	  friends	   in	   Japan	   that	   we,	   the	   current	   generation,	   should	   continue	   to	   listen	   to	   and	   serve	  those	  courageous	  fathers,	  sons	  and	  daughters	  of	  Africa	  because	  they	  represent	  destiny,	  freedom,	  equality,	  justice	  and	  dignity.	  	  Thank	  you	  and	  Arigato	  	  2