Abdulrahman Mohamed Babu (1924 - 1996)

[Abdul Alkalimat / Gerald Mcworter]

Abdulrahman Mohamed Babu
Great Pan-Africanist Leader

Wiki
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdulrahman_Mohamed_Babu

Bio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2DKSdDFClM

Malcolm X on Babu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB0r50DdV_A

Speaking at a SNCC conference 1988 (at 49:30)
https://vimeopro.com/crma/sncc-anniversary-conferences/video/1060347415

His books
https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/1353989.Abdulrahman_Mohamed_Babu

Analysis about Babu
https://www.jpanafrican.org/docs/vol1no9/AbdulRahmanMohamedBabu.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izFbK_IGfbI
https://www.scienceopen.com/document_file/2e810fed-7b1e-44b7-9be3-28deec27ee91/ScienceOpen/03056240308367.pdf
https://www.pambazuka.org/creating-cuba-africa-life-and-work-mohamed-babu

Documentary
https://tinyurl.com/5y5pc2th
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2DKSdDFClM

CIA File
https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/ABDULRAHMAN%20MOHAMED%20BABU%20%5B15687618%5D.pdf

AI Notes

Abdulrahman Mohamed Babu was a prominent Zanzibari Marxist and pan-Africanist who was deeply involved in Pan-African congresses and movements throughout his life

. He participated in several key events and helped shape the movement's ideology. 

Involvement in the All-African Peoples' Conference (1958)

In 1958, Babu attended the historic All-African Peoples' Conference in Accra, Ghana, while he was secretary of the Zanzibar Nationalist Party (ZNP). 

• At the conference, Babu connected with radical forces, including Frantz Fanon and the Algerian National Liberation Front (FLN).
• He advocated that armed struggle was sometimes necessary to achieve independence, a view that influenced the conference's official slogan: "Independence, by any means necessary". The phrase was later popularized by Malcolm X. 

Participation in other Pan-African movements

Babu's involvement in pan-Africanism extended beyond the All-African Peoples' Conference:

• He was elected secretary of the Pan-African Movement for East and Central Africa (PAFMECA) at its founding conference in 1958.
• While traveling for PAFMECA, he met with Patrice Lumumba in Léopoldville, offering support to the future Congolese leader.
• After being released from prison in Tanzania in 1978, Babu lived in exile and remained involved in pan-African struggles, working with diaspora communities and the Eritrean movement.
• He co-organized the 7th Pan-African Congress, held in Kampala, Uganda, in 1994. The congress adopted the slogans "Resist Recolonisation" and "Don't Agonise, Organise!". 

Pan-Africanist ideology

Babu was a dedicated Marxist and pan-Africanist who believed that socialism could be achieved through African unity. His ideology emphasized: 

• Anti-imperialism and anti-colonialism.
• Advocating for African unity and liberation.
• The connection between theory and action in political struggles.
• Commitment to fighting for democracy and social justice.