`AFRICAN UNION UNION AFRICAINE

UNIÃO AFRICANA

ACALAN
African Academy of Languages Hamdallaye ACI 2000, Porte 223 Rue 394, Bamako-Mali,
Email: [email protected] www.acalan.org Tel+223 20290459 Fax +223 20290457

Commissioner for Social Affairs of the African Union Commission paid the
African Academy of Languages (ACALAN) and the Malian authorities a two-
day working visit.
The Executive Secretariat of ACALAN and the Malian authorities were honoured to recieve H.E.
Amira Elfadil, Commissioner for Social Affairs of the African Union Commission on a two-day
working visit.
The two-day mission that took place on the 17 and 18 October 2017 was undertaken by the
Commissioner for Social Affairs and her delegation to discuss a number of issues with the Malian
authorities including migration
and the Host Agreement on
ACALAN. It also aimed at
helping to raise the visibility of
ACALAN and the Centre for
Linguistic and Historical Study
by Oral Tradition (CELHTO),
as well as to create a
partnership between the two
sister institutions and the
Africa -Arab Cultural Institute
(AACI). The AACI was
jointly established by the
African Union and the League
of Arab States to facilitate and
promote cooperation between
the African and Arab peoples
through their respective cultures, whilst providing technical and/or financial assistance to needy
member countries for the development of their national culture and the promotion of Africa -Arab
cultural exchanges.
Both ACALAN and CELHTO are specialized institutions of the African Union under the umbrella
of the Department of Social Affairs of the African Union Commission. ACALAN’s mandate is to
develop and promote African languages and convivial multilingualism in Africa, as a factor of African
integration and development, while CELHTO promotes African cultures in their richness, diversity
and convergence, by safeguarding African cultural heritage and contributing to the promotion of
African history and languages through the collection, conservation and dissemination of oral traditions.
During the visit, Commissioner Elfadil met with the Director General and staff of the Africa-Arab
Cultural Institute to discuss the support and assistance of the Department of Social Affairs of the
African Union Commission to the Institute, which is under her portfolio.
The Commissioner also visited both the Civil Protection Centre, and the Centre for Migrants of the
Ministry of Malians Abroad and African Integration still under construction but at finishing level, to
appreciate the two Centres and the facilities available to take care of returning migrants.
As the Minister of Culture was on a mission away from Bamako, Commissioner Elfadil met with Mr
Andogoly GUINDO, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry. She also paid H.E. Abdoulaye Diop,
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation a visit, before meeting with ACALAN
personnel and subsequently taking part in the closing session of the ACALAN Planning Workshop
for the Linguistic Atlas Project for the ECOWAS and SADC regions.
During her visits to the Migration Centres, Commissioner Elfadil highlighted African Union ’s decision
to have five (5) régional centres of migration to receive migrants as a way of combatting emigration in
Africa. She informed the
authorities about the
Commission’s desire to propose
that the regional centre for West
Africa be in Bamako, Mali, since
a lot has been done for the
operationalization of the new
centre for migrants.
Meeting with the Permanent
Secretary of the Ministry of
Culture of Mali, the
Commissioner for Social Affairs
presented her gratitude to the
government of Mali for the role
they had played in the
establishment and hosting of
ACALAN. She requested for Mali’s continued support to ACALAN’s activities and referred to the
idea of Mali to be nominated a champion for cultural policy and development given its rich heritage
and role in cultural protection and preservation.
The Permanent Secretary in his turn thanked the Commissioner for her visit and referred to ACALAN
as Mali’s baby and hence Mali has the duty to take care of the baby and see that it grows. He highlighted
the importance of culture, and that it is “through language that culture is expressed.” In order to follow
up all ACALAN’s issues with the Ministry of Culture the Commissioner proposed that a Focal Point
for ACALAN be appointed at the Ministry of Culture to effectively work with ACALAN.
Meeting with H.E. Abdoulaye Diop, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the
Republic of Mali, the Commissioner for Social Affairs was congratulated by the Minister on her
appointment as AU Commissioner for Social Affairs and offered his country’s support for the
successful completion of her tenure in office. He said that the African Union can count on Mali’s
support in its quest for integration and unity of the continent, adding that culture plays a crucial role
in that regard. He said that Africa’s biggest industry is culture and that the continent has a comparative
advantage in terms of its development endeavour. He thanked the AU for its support in preserving
the manuscripts in Timbuktu.
H.E. Commissioner on her turn expressed gratitude to the Government of Mali for hosting ACALAN
which was initiated by former President Alpha Oumar Konare. She recalled her objectives in visiting
Mali which included to visit the Migration Centres in Bamako, the Africa Arab Cultural Institute, and
to participate in ACALAN’s Planning Workshop for the Linguistic Atlas for the ECOWAS and SADC
regions.
She concluded by requesting the Minister to assist in ensuring that the Host Agreement between Mali
and the African Union Commission relating to hosting ACALAN be implemented specifically the
issue of providing offices for
ACALAN and rectifying the title
deed of the plot of land
attributed to ACALAN by the
government of Mali to construct
its headquarters, as well as other
issues like diplomatic
immunities for ACALAN’s staff
amongst others.
Assuring the Commissioner that
all issues related to the
implementation of the Host
Agreement would be looked
into and implemented, he evoked that it was high time that the continent moved on with the issue of
free movement of people to guarantee its integration, and welcoming the consideration of the Protocol
on the Free Movement of People by the upcoming Specialized Technical Committee meeting in Kigali
this October and the Commissioner’s visit to the Migration Centres.
Minister Diop also referred to the program on the Cost of Hunger that the Department of Social
Affairs had been working on and said that he was head of the office of the World Food Programme
in Addis Ababa and was looking forward to receiving the report of the project, which will assist in
increased investment on nutrition in the continent.

The Commissioner assured the Minister of the AUC and her personal support on all of this initiatives.
He then left to take part in the closing session of the planning workshop for the linguistic atlas for the
ECOWAS and SADC Regions. Prior to the closing session, the Commissioner for Social Affairs held
a meeting at the Secretariat with all the staff of ACALAN. During the meeting with the staff of
ACALAN, the Ag. Executive Secretary presented the Academy, its achievements, challenges and
perspectives.

African Academy of Languages (ACALAN),