Pictures of the 32 founders of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) draw spectator attention at the African Union headquarters. Formed in the fervent pan-African atmosphere that followed the independence of several countries from colonialism 61 years ago, the OAU had a distinctive spirit of liberation. Ghanaian Kwame Nkrumah, who led the former Gold Coast’s independence and served as its first prime minister post-colonialism, was one of the main leaders in the OAU’s formation. The Organisation, first chaired by Emperor Haile Selassie, was disbanded in 2002 while under the chairpersonship of South African President Thabom Beki. Some of the founding principles of the OAU live through the African Union.
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