BanFaaba President Mario Cisse and Balanta B’urassa History and Genealogy Society in America President Siphiwe Baleka attend the African Union’s Fridays of the Commission Workshop: Key Requirements for Generating Developmental and Transformational Leadership Across Africa.

Convened by the African Union Commission Department of Economic Development, Trade, Industry and Mining, the conference brought together participants from the AU Member States, Regional Economic Communities, AU Organs and Specialized Agencies, development partners, the private sector, civil societies, academia and the media.

The Conference aimed to provide a platform for a public debate on how to develop passionate and visionary leaders within the continent, who understand global dynamics and environment and can drive developmental changes for the attainment of people centered and sustainable economic development and, overall, the realization of the aspirations of Agenda 2063, the “Africa We Want”.

According to Mr. Cisse,

“Leadership in Africa is very challenging because the African continent and its leaders didn’t focus on using its own resources. We didn’t build a strong force to move Africa forward. This is the only way we can overcome the challenge that Africa is facing right now. We must give the young people the opportunity to use the resources of Africa for their own development. This requires transformational leadership. We need leaders that can negotiate better deals for African people.”

Earlier this month, Mr. Cisse and Mr. Baleka met with Her Excellency, Ambassador Erieka Bennett of the Diaspora Africa Forum, to discuss African Diaspora issues, and in particular, Guinea Bissau’s Decade of Return initiative.

Mr. Baleka, for his part, recently led the team that drafted a MOTION TO THE AFRICAN UNION EXECUTIVE COUNCIL 39th EXTRAORDINARY SESSION that was presented by the Zambian Minister of Foreign Affairs. The motion requested that all African Union member states

“Establish an African Diaspora Desk mandated to ensure that the African Diaspora sub-group - consisting of the specific group of people of African origin, born outside the African Continent, who have never had access to an automatic birthright to claim a specific African citizenship or nationality due to the horrific legacy of the transatlantic slave trade, but recognise their Right To Return (RTR) to their ancestral homeland - have their specific needs met to achieve successful repatriation with a recommendation that the African Diaspora Desk works in partnership with the Diaspora Advisory Board instituted by the Declaration Of The Global African Summit 2012 for each member state.”

“We have informed the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Her Excellency Suzi Barbosa of the leading role that she can play in this movement,” said Mr. Baleka.

“With the Decade of Return Initiative, we have positioned Guinea Bissau to take a leading role in the African Union 6th Region Diaspora movement and we hope that Guinea Bissau will be the first country to implement the recommendation and establish the second Diaspora Desk with diplomatic status on the continent of Africa. In this way, we are contributing to the transformational and visionary leadership right here in Guinea Bissau.”

Last year, Mr. Baleka was asked to Chair the Panel, “Sixth region – Critical thinking and Action Plan towards re-integration at the African Union” at the 2nd Annual Centre for Global Africa (CGA) – APRM Pan African Development Conference on 12-14 November 2020 hosted by the African Peer Review Mechanism of the African Union and the Centre for Global Africa. On November 23, 2020, Mr. Baleka addressed the United Nations 26TH SESSION OF THE WORKING GROUP OF EXPERTS ON PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT. And a month later he gave a keynote address entitled The Lineage Restoration Movement and the Future of Africa to the Plenary Session on Economic Emancipation and the Black Lives Matter Movement at the 1st African Diaspora Summit in Nairobi, Kenya organized by The Africa Diaspora Alliance and the Kenya Diaspora Alliance.

Mr. Cisse and Mr. Baleka are themselves fast becoming some of the most visionary and transformational leaders in Guinea Bissau.