African trade unions and civil society groups will converge in Accra, Ghana, on Friday, 29 August 2025, for a continental rally demanding debt cancellation and fairer trade systems for Africa.
Organised under the banner of the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) and the Trades Union Congress (TUC) of Ghana, the demonstration is expected to draw support from workers, youth groups, women's organisations, and faith leaders across the continent.
In a statement, ITUC-Africa General Secretary, Comrade Joel Odigie, recalled that the May 2025 AU Debt Summit in Lomé declared debt a "stumbling block" to Africa's development. He explained that the rally represents a collective demand for debt cancellation as a form of reparative justice.
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"This rally is not just symbolic—it is a declaration that Africa must be freed from unjust debt and exploitative trade systems that continue to drain the continent of its wealth," Odigie stated.
Significantly, Ghana's Vice President, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, is expected to march alongside trade unionists and citizens. According to Odigie, her participation signals both political leadership and continental resolve in tackling Africa's debt crisis, which has forced governments into choosing between servicing debt or serving their people.
The rally aims to amplify continental calls for structural economic reforms, stronger trade justice mechanisms, and financing models that prioritize people over creditors. For African small businesses, which often face the harshest consequences of debt-driven austerity policies, such advocacy could translate into a more supportive business environment and improved access to resources.
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