Western Sahara’s Freedom Is Africa’s Unfinished Liberation-Youth Ambassador Katungulu ‘Preaches’ Pan Africanism At KIU

By Frank Kamuntu

African Youth Ambassador Luyimbaazi Isah Katungulu has called on African nations and the youth to reawaken the spirit of Pan-Africanism as a guiding force for liberation and justice, particularly in the case of Western Sahara, Africa’s last colony.

Delivering a keynote address yesterday at Kampala International University (KIU) during a public lecture themed “Beyond Borders: Pan-Africanism, Nationalism and the Quest for Justice in Western Sahara,” Katungulu traced the historical roots of Pan-Africanism and challenged Africans to defend the right of Sahrawi people to self-determination.

“Pan-Africanism must not remain a philosophy confined to history books. It is a way of life — a call for self-preservation and a tool for reclaiming Africa’s future,” Katungulu said.

He reminded the audience that Pan-Africanism was born out of the struggles of enslaved Africans in the Americas and strengthened by the fight against colonial borders imposed by the 1884 Berlin Conference. Leaders such as Marcus Garvey, W.E.B. Du Bois, Kwame Nkrumah, Nelson Mandela and others, he noted, laid the foundation for Africa’s unity and collective freedom.

Katungulu further highlighted that despite the political independence achieved between 1957 and 1994, the liberation of Africa remains incomplete without Western Sahara’s freedom. He criticized Morocco’s continued occupation of the territory and warned that international deals exploiting Western Sahara’s natural resources without the consent of its people amounted to legitimizing colonialism.

Quoting the 1975 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, Katungulu stressed that the Sahrawi people hold an undeniable right to self-determination and sovereignty over their resources. He cautioned that partnerships like the European Union’s fisheries agreement with Morocco undermine this right.

“As long as Western Sahara is not free, Africa is not free. Pan-Africanism demands that we do not abandon the Sahrawi people to exploitation and displacement,” he declared.

The ambassador also criticized the slow pace of United Nations-led negotiations, pointing out that the UN peacekeeping mission MINURSO, established in 1991, has failed to deliver the long-promised referendum. He argued that Morocco’s strategic use of diplomacy and global alliances, including recognition from the United States after the Abraham Accords, continues to frustrate Sahrawi independence.

Katungulu concluded by urging African governments, universities, and youth movements to elevate Western Sahara’s cause as central to Pan-Africanism in the 21st century.

“The quest for justice in Western Sahara is not just about borders. It is about affirming African humanity, rewriting our narrative, and fulfilling the unfinished work of decolonization,” he emphasized.

The lecture, hosted by KIU Guild President H.E. Aineplani Major, was organized by the Uganda Solidarity Movement with Western Sahara and the Africa Youth Congress. It drew academics, students, and activists eager to examine Africa’s unfinished liberation struggles.

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