The African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) and the Trades Union Congress (TUC) of Ghana have declared that they will hold a historic protest in Accra on August 29, 2025. Along with trade justice for Africa, they are calling for the cancellation of debt.
Organisers said the event, called Africa Rises, will unite government leaders, civil society organisations, and workers in a common demand to abolish “unjust debt and exploitative trade systems” that continue to deplete Africa’s resources.
The TUC’s Secretary General, Mr. Joshua Ansah, stated prior to the event that governments in Africa were faced with unfeasible options due to the continent’s rising sovereign debt problem.
“Today, seven African countries spend more on debt interest than on education, and 25 spend more on debt than on health. The bleeding of Africa must stop,” he said.
With four nations, including Ghana, already in default, and 22 at high danger of crisis, Africa’s overall debt is projected to be USD 2.14 trillion.
The continent loses USD 41 billion a year due to illicit financial flows and profit repatriation, which surpass the sum of loans, aid, and remittances, according to campaigners.
“This is not just an economic crisis; it is a matter of justice and sovereignty. Our resources must serve our people, not creditors,” Mr. Ansah stated.
Participants will deliver petitions to legislators at Independence Square, where the event will conclude after starting at Obra Spot.
A chain-breaking ritual and other symbolic actions will highlight Africa’s release from what Uniorns refer to as the “neo-colonial shackles of debt.”
In a gesture that organisers say demonstrates political leadership and a continental will to address the problem, Ghana’s vice president, Professor Jane Nana Opoku-Agyemang, is anticipated to march alongside workers and residents.
Trade justice will be a focal point of the demonstration in addition to debt. Unions caution that the African Continental Free commerce Area (AfCFTA) runs the risk of perpetuating inequality in the absence of legally binding labour and social rights, notwithstanding the agreement’s 50% increase in intra-African commerce.
“Trade must deliver decent jobs, not just GDP growth. We refuse a race to the bottom where workers pay the price for liberalisation,” TUC-Africa emphasized.
Advocates are urging the official inclusion of labour unions in AfCFTA protocols as well as the incorporation of labour and social provisions into its governance frameworks.
“This rally is a defining moment for Africa’s economic future, it a continental campaign and a global message,” Mr. Ansah mentioned.
