African Chess celebrates “Africa Day”
“Africa Day” is commemorated on May 25th of every year as a rallying cry for Pan-African unity, justice, and regional collaboration. The day celebrates the founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in 1963. The OAU became the African Union (AU) in 2002. This year marks the 62nd anniversary of the organization’s founding. This year’s theme was “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations.” The objectives of this year’s celebration are:
• Promote the AU 2025 Theme of the Year, positioning reparations and historical redress within AU frameworks for peacebuilding, development, and global advocacy.
• Facilitate high-level dialogue on innovative and implementable policy pathways for achieving reparatory justice for Africans and people of African descent.
• Celebrate Africa’s diverse cultural heritage as both a repository of memory and a dynamic driver of healing, innovation, and sustainable development.
• Foster intergenerational and diaspora dialogues that bridge past struggles with future aspirations, allowing youth, artists, civil society, and thought leaders to co-create inclusive narratives of justice, identity, and transformation.
• Reaffirm Member States’ commitment to Pan-African solidarity, resilience, and the cultural and intellectual revival of the continent.
African Chess Confederation President Tshepiso Lopang (Botswana) presented an important statement.
Commemorating Africa Day: Strengthening Unity Through the Power of Chess
Today, we pause not just to remember our history, but to celebrate what it means to be African: united in diversity, rich in culture, and full of promise.
At the African Chess Confederation, we see Africa’s story reflected in every game played across our continent. We see young minds thinking ahead. We see patience, courage, and creativity. We see resilience. And above all, we see a continent rising together.
This year, our theme, “Chess Unites Africa: From Pawns to Kings, We Rise Together,” is more than a slogan. It’s a reminder that no move is too small, no dream too distant. Like in chess, every position matters, and every player has the power to shape the outcome.
As we mark Africa Day 2025, we honour our past, but we play for the future, a future led by focused minds, fearless hearts, and a united Africa.
Happy Africa Day to you all, may every move we make as a continent bring us closer to unity, progress, and victory.
Tshepiso Lopang
President of the African Chess Confederation