Yugoslavia and the Organisation of African Unity

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Yugoslavia and the Organisation of African Unity
Organisation of African Unity Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg
Yugoslavia

During the Cold War period former Southeast European country of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia established and maintained significant political, cultural and economic exchanges and relations with newly independent African states. While majority of multilateral exchanges were organized via Non-Aligned Movement and the United Nations, significant cooperation developed with the Organisation of African Unity as well, predecessor to contemporary African Union. Yugoslavia was the only non-African country which participated in funding of the Liberation Committee of the Organisation of African Unity. [1] [2] While being a uniquely involved in the workings of the body the country nevertheless preferred bilateral relations with individual liberation movements. [3] The Organisation of African Unity included the Non-Alignment principle in its charter while Yugoslavia consider the organisation to be the only legitimate representative for the entire African continent throughout the Cold War era. [4] Yugoslavia therefore followed common OAU line in its own policies towards issues in Africa. [4]

Contents

Context

Yugoslavia, contrary to many Western Bloc countries in Europe did not have any direct colonial past which complicated relations between former Metropoles and newly independent states. The country believed that its own historical experiences of foreign domination by Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empire, challenges in development and complex multi-ethnic federalist structure are akin to experiences of newly independent post-colonial countries in Africa. At the same time, from the 1948 Tito–Stalin split onwards the country was not anymore under the sphere of influence of the Soviet Union and was instead focused on non-Bloc countries. As the maneuvering space for neutral countries in deeply divided Europe was shrinking Yugoslavia turned its foreign policy focus on new allies among former colonies and mandate territories, primarily in Africa and the Middle East.

Yugoslav construction firm Energoprojekt constructed and designed the Kampala International Conference Center in 1975 to accommodate the 13th Summit of the Organization of African Unity. [5] Yugoslav architect Mario Jobst was invited to work on the conference center for the 14th OAU Summit in Libreville as well. [6] Some exchanges remained at the level of planning with Yugoslav architect Branko Petrović creating the general plan for the headquarters building of the Organisation of African Unity in Addis Ababa in early 1960's which was never implemented in practice. [7]

Yugoslav foreign relations with African states

CountryIndependenceFormal Relations BeganNotes
Flag of Algeria.svg  Algeria 5 July 1962 [8] 2 July 1962 [8]
Flag of Angola.svg  Angola 11 November 1975 [8] 1975 [8]
Flag of Benin.svg  Benin 1 August 1960 [8] 1962 [8]
Flag of Botswana.svg  Botswana 30 September 1966 [8] 1970 [8]
Flag of Burkina Faso.svg  Burkina Faso 5 August 1960 [8] 1968 [8]
Flag of Burundi.svg  Burundi 1 July 1962 [8] 1962 [8]
Flag of Gabon.svg  Gabon 17 August 1960 [8] 1960 [8]
Flag of The Gambia.svg  Gambia 18 February 1965 [8] 1965 [8]
Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana 6 March 1957 [8] 1959 [8]
Flag of Guinea.svg  Guinea 2 October 1958 [8] 1958 [8]
Flag of Guinea-Bissau.svg  Guinea-Bissau 10 September 1974 [8] 1975 [8]
Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt 28 February 1922 [8] 1 February 1908 (continued relations of the Kingdom of Serbia) [8]
Flag of Equatorial Guinea.svg  Equatorial Guinea 12 October 1968 [8] 1970 [8]
Flag of Ethiopia (1897-1936; 1941-1974).svg  Ethiopia never colonized in a classical sense (temporary Italian occupation) [8] 1952 [8]
Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia 24 October 1964 [8] 1964 [8]
Flag of Zimbabwe.svg  Zimbabwe 18 April 1980 [8] 1980 [8]
Flag of Cameroon.svg  Cameroon 1 January 1960 [8] 1960 [8]
Flag of Cape Verde (1975-1992).svg  Cape Verde 5 July 1975 [8] 1975 [8]
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya 12/20 December 1963 [8] 1963 [8]
Flag of Zaire (1971-1997).svg  Zaire 30 June 1960 [8] 1961 [8]
Flag of the Republic of the Congo.svg  Republic of the Congo 15 August 1960 [8] 1964 [8]
Flag of Lesotho.svg  Lesotho 4 October 1966 [8] 1972 [8]
Flag of Liberia.svg  Liberia 26 July 1847 [8] 1959 [8]
Flag of Libya.svg  Libya 24 December 1951 [8] 1955 [8]
Flag of Madagascar.svg  Madagascar 26 June 1960 [8] 1960 [8]
Flag of Mali.svg  Mali 22 September 1960 [8] 1961 [8]
Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco 2 March 1956 [8] 2 March 1957 [8]
Flag of Mauritius.svg  Mauritius 12 March 1968 [8] 1969 [8]
Flag of Mozambique.svg  Mozambique 25 June 1975 [8] 1975 [8]
Flag of Namibia.svg  Namibia 21 March 1990 [8] 1990 [8]
Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria 1 October 1960 [8] 1960 [8]
Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg  Ivory Coast 7 August 1960 [8] 1968 [8]
Flag of Rwanda.svg  Rwanda 1 July 1962 [8] 1971 [8]
Flag of Sao Tome and Principe.svg  Sao Tome and Principe 12 July 1975 [8] 1977 [8]
Flag of Seychelles.svg  Seychelles 29 June 1976 [8] 1977 [8]
Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal 20 August 1960 [8] 1961 [8]
Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone 27 April 1961 [8] 1961 [8]
Flag of Eswatini.svg  Swaziland 6 September 1968 [8] 1968 [8]
Flag of Somalia.svg  Somalia 1 July 1960 [8] 1960 [8]
Flag of Sudan.svg  Sudan 1 January 1956 [8] 1956 [8]
Flag of Tanzania.svg  Tanzania 1961, 26 April 1964 (unification) [8] 1961 [8]
Flag of Togo.svg  Togo 27 April 1960 [8] 1960 [8]
Flag of Tunisia.svg  Tunisia 20 March 1956 [8] 1957 [8]
Flag of Uganda.svg  Uganda 9 October 1962 [8] 1963 [8]
Flag of the Central African Republic.svg  Central African Republic 13 August 1960 [8] 1960 [8]
Flag of Chad.svg  Chad 11 August 1960 [8] 1966 [8]
Flag of Djibouti.svg  Djibouti 27 June 1977 [8] 1978 [8]

See also

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