Morocco – President Joseph N. Boakai has issued a clarion call for a transformed African role on the world stage, declaring at the 17th MEDays Forum that the continent must no longer allow others to shape its destiny. Africa, he insisted, must rise as a co-author of the emerging global order.
Speaking Wednesday, November 26, 2025, in Tangier, Morocco, before world leaders, policy experts, and international investors under the patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, President Boakai said the world is entering a period of dramatic, unpredictable shifts that demand an assertive African posture.
“The world is changing in ways that are deep, unpredictable, and at times unsettling. The critical question is this: Will Africa remain a spectator while others define the new world order, or will Africa claim its rightful place?” he asked.
Reflecting on history, he warned that although past centuries witnessed Africans forcibly taken from their homeland, today the greater threat is that Africa itself risks being “taken away from Africans” through exploitative systems, externally driven policies, and distorted global narratives.
“This cannot continue. Not if we believe in fairness, dignity, and Africa’s rightful place in the global conversation,” he said.
President Boakai laid out four pillars he believes are pivotal for Africa to influence global transformation: geopolitics, security, economic governance, and regional integration. He emphasized the need for a unified African voice at global institutions, stronger continental security cooperation, added value to natural resources, and accelerated implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area. “A divided continent cannot influence a divided world,” he cautioned.
To investors, he underscored the need for partnerships rooted in shared prosperity, calling for investments focused on industrialization, ownership, infrastructure, and responsible governance—all while honoring Africa’s agency. “Africans should no longer be bystanders. They must be contributors to global innovation and partners in shared prosperity,” he declared.
Citing an African proverb, Boakai said, “Until the lion learns to speak, every story will glorify the hunter,” adding, “Today, Africa is learning to speak.” He closed with an emphatic proclamation of Africa’s readiness to shape a more just and peaceful world: “Africa is not silent. Africa is speaking. Africa is not waiting. Africa is moving. Africa is not behind. Africa is rising.”
President Boakai extended blessings to Africa, the Kingdom of Morocco, the Amadeus Institute, and the people of Liberia as the forum concluded. Widely regarded as the “Davos of the Global South,” the MEDays Forum continues to gather global leaders and innovators to address the critical geopolitical, economic, and social issues shaping emerging nations.
Photo credit: Executive Mansion
