Yugoslavia and the Organisation of African Unity

{{Infobox bilateral relations

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| party1 = Organisation of African Unity

| party2 = Yugoslavia

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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.{{cite thesis |last=Pustaj |first=Marko |date=23 December 2016 |title=Ekonomski odnosi SFRJ i nesvrstanih zemalja Afrike 1973 - 1981 |type=Thesis |publisher=University of Zagreb |url=http://darhiv.ffzg.unizg.hr/id/eprint/10448/1/Pustaj%20-%20diplomski%20zavr%C5%A1na%20verzija.pdf |access-date=12 February 2021}}{{cite journal |last=Markakis |first=John |date=October 1966 |title=The Organisation of African Unity: A Progress Report |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/158941 |journal=The Journal of Modern African Studies |volume=4 |issue=2 |pages=135–153 |access-date=12 February 2021}} While being a uniquely involved in the workings of the body the country nevertheless preferred bilateral relations with individual liberation movements.{{cite journal |author1=Milorad Lazic |date=2021 |title=Arsenal of the Global South: Yugoslavia’s Military Aid to Nonaligned Countries and Liberation Movements |journal=Nationalities Papers |volume=49 |issue=3 |pages=428–445 |doi=10.1017/nps.2020.6 }} 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.{{cite thesis |last=R. Radonić |first=Nemanja |date=2020 |title=Слика Африке у Југославији (1945-1991) |type=Doctoral Thesis |publisher=University of Belgrade |url=https://uvidok.rcub.bg.ac.rs/bitstream/handle/123456789/3929/Doktorat.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |access-date=12 February 2021}} Yugoslavia therefore followed common OAU line in its own policies towards issues in Africa.

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.{{cite web|url=https://www.spomenikdatabase.org/post/10-works-of-yugoslav-modernist-architecture-in-africa-the-middle-east |author=Donald Niebyl |title=10 Works of Yugoslav Modernist Architecture in Africa & the Middle East |work=Spomenik |access-date=12 February 2021 }} Yugoslav architect Mario Jobst was invited to work on the conference center for the 14th OAU Summit in Libreville as well.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/serbian/lat/srbija-52753755 |author=Jovana Georgievski |title=Jugoslavija, Tito i nesvrstani: Kako je socijalistička arhitektura osvojila Afriku |work=BBC |access-date=12 February 2021 }} 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.{{cite web|url=https://vizkultura.hr/africki-i-azijski-opusi-hrvatskih-arhitekata/ |author1=Lidija Butković Mićin |author2=Saša Šimpraga |title=Afrički i azijski opusi hrvatskih arhitekata |work=Vizkultura |access-date=12 February 2021 }}

Gallery

Ispraćaj predsednika Tita, na kraju posete Tanzaniji.jpg|President Josip Broz Tito at the end of his 1970 visit to Tanzania.

Tito ^ haile selasije - panoramio.jpg|President Tito and Emperor Haile Selassie in Pula, SR Croatia.

Dolazak predsednika Gane Kvame Nkrumaha na konferenciju nesvrstanih, 1961. god.jpg|President of Ghana Kwame Nkrumah and President Tito in Belgrade, SR Serbia.

Zvanični jugoslovensko-angolski razgovori u Beloj vili na Brionima.jpg|1977 Angola-Yugoslavia official talks on Brijuni islands.

Jovanka Broz and mrs. el-Shafei.tif|Jovanka Broz and Mrs. el-Shafei together with Josip Broz Tito and Hussein el-Shafei in Luxor

Yugoslav foreign relations with African states

class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%; margin:auto;"
style="width:15%;"| Country

! style="width:12%;"| Independence

! style="width:12%;"| Formal Relations Began

!Notes

valign="top"

|{{flag|Algeria}}

5 July 1962{{cite book |author1= Radina Vučetić |author2= Pol Bets |author3= Radovan Cukić |url=https://www.muzej-jugoslavije.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Tito-u-Africi.pdf |author4= Ana Sladojević |date=2017 |title=Tito u Africi: slike solidarnosti |publisher=Museum of Yugoslavia |isbn=978-86-84811-45-7 }}2 July 1962{{main|Algeria–Yugoslavia relations}}
valign="top"

|{{flag|Angola}}

11 November 19751975{{main|Angola–Yugoslavia relations}}
valign="top"

|{{flag|Benin}}

1 August 19601962
valign="top"

|{{flag|Botswana}}

30 September 19661970
valign="top"

|{{flag|Burkina Faso}}

5 August 19601968
valign="top"

|{{flag|Burundi}}

1 July 19621962{{main|Burundi–Yugoslavia relations}}
valign="top"

|{{flag|Gabon}}

17 August 19601960{{main|Gabon–Yugoslavia relations}}
valign="top"

|{{flag|Gambia}}

18 February 19651965
valign="top"

|{{flag|Ghana}}

6 March 19571959{{main|Ghana–Yugoslavia relations}}
valign="top"

|{{flag|Guinea}}

2 October 19581958
valign="top"

|{{flag|Guinea-Bissau}}

10 September 19741975
valign="top"

|{{flag|Egypt}}

28 February 19221 February 1908 (continued relations of the Kingdom of Serbia){{main|Egypt–Yugoslavia relations}}
valign="top"

|{{flag|Equatorial Guinea}}

12 October 19681970
valign="top"

|{{flag|Ethiopia|1897}}

never colonized in a classical sense (temporary Italian occupation)1952{{main|Ethiopia–Yugoslavia relations}}
valign="top"

|{{flag|Zambia}}

24 October 19641964{{main|Yugoslavia–Zambia relations}}
valign="top"

|{{flag|Zimbabwe}}

18 April 19801980{{main|Yugoslavia–Zimbabwe relations}}
valign="top"

|{{flag|Cameroon}}

1 January 19601960
valign="top"

|{{flag|Cape Verde|1975}}

5 July 19751975{{main|Cape Verde–Yugoslavia relations}}
valign="top"

|{{flag|Kenya}}

12/20 December 19631963
valign="top"

|{{flag|Zaire}}

30 June 19601961{{main|Democratic Republic of the Congo–Yugoslavia relations}}
valign="top"

|{{flag|Republic of the Congo}}

15 August 19601964{{main|Republic of the Congo–Yugoslavia relations}}
valign="top"

|{{flag|Lesotho}}

4 October 19661972
valign="top"

|{{flag|Liberia}}

26 July 18471959
valign="top"

|{{flag|Libya}}

24 December 19511955{{main|Libya–Yugoslavia relations}}
valign="top"

|{{flag|Madagascar}}

26 June 19601960
valign="top"

|{{flag|Mali}}

22 September 19601961
valign="top"

|{{flag|Morocco}}

2 March 19562 March 1957{{main|Morocco–Yugoslavia relations}}
valign="top"

|{{flag|Mauritius}}

12 March 19681969
valign="top"

|{{flag|Mozambique}}

25 June 19751975
valign="top"

|{{flag|Namibia}}

21 March 19901990
valign="top"

|{{flag|Nigeria}}

1 October 19601960{{main|Nigeria–Yugoslavia relations}}
valign="top"

|{{flag|Ivory Coast}}

7 August 19601968
valign="top"

|{{flag|Rwanda}}

1 July 19621971
valign="top"

|{{flag|Sao Tome and Principe}}

12 July 19751977
valign="top"

|{{flag|Seychelles}}

29 June 19761977
valign="top"

|{{flag|Senegal}}

20 August 19601961
valign="top"

|{{flag|Sierra Leone}}

27 April 19611961{{main|Sierra Leone–Yugoslavia relations}}
valign="top"

|{{flag|Swaziland}}

6 September 19681968
valign="top"

|{{flag|Somalia}}

1 July 19601960
valign="top"

|{{flag|Sudan}}

1 January 19561956{{main|Sudan–Yugoslavia relations}}
valign="top"

|{{flag|Tanzania}}

1961, 26 April 1964 (unification)1961{{main|Tanzania–Yugoslavia relations}}
valign="top"

|{{flag|Togo}}

27 April 19601960
valign="top"

|{{flag|Tunisia}}

20 March 19561957
valign="top"

|{{flag|Uganda}}

9 October 19621963{{main|Uganda–Yugoslavia relations}}
valign="top"

|{{flag|Central African Republic}}

13 August 19601960
valign="top"

|{{flag|Chad}}

11 August 19601966
valign="top"

|{{flag|Djibouti}}

27 June 19771978

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Yugoslavia topics}}

{{African Union}}

{{Foreign relations of Yugoslavia}}

Category:Foreign relations of the African Union

Category:Foreign relations of Yugoslavia

Category:Foreign relations of Africa