It was on this day in 1963 when thirty nations from thirty two independent African states at the time gathered in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, to form the Organization of African Unity (OAU) to address the challenges the continent faced.

Forty nine years after the formal adoption of a vision for a united Africa, there’s notable progress in democracy and tackling armed conflicts in some parts of the continent.

However, there are still challenges facing the continent such as climate change and poverty.

African leaders adopted the new name of African Union in 2002 and gather on this day every year to celebrate its formation.