Today, May 25, is African Liberation Day. It is a singular tragedy that on such a day the Pan-African world should lose one of its luminaries, Dr. Tajudeen Abdul Rahman. He died in the early hours of this morning in a car accident in Nairobi on his way to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to board a flight to Rwanda.
Tajudeen's untimely passing is indeed a great tragedy to the Pan-African world. A man of great passion and intellect, Taju, as he was called by his friends, had unflinching commitment to Africa and its future, and through words and action believed in the liberation and regeneration of the continent and its peoples from the shackles of imperialism and Africa's own unproductive internal histories and corruptions of power. I first met Tajudeen in the mid-1990s when he was invited to give a talk at the Center for African Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign which I directed at the time. I keenly followed his career and unflinching pursuit of Pan-African solidarity. Readers of this site will remember his participation in the eSymposium on the "Meaning and Implication of the Obama Phenomenon." My deepest condolesnces to his family, friends, and comrades in the struggle for Pan-African liberation. PT Zeleza, Editor, The Zeleza Post.
From Pambazuka: Tajudeen Abdul Raheem: A Giant Is Lost On African Liberation Day By Firoze Manji
25 May is Africa Liberation Day. What a day to learn the terrible news that one of the leading proponents of Africa's liberation - Tajudeen Abdul Raheem - should be so tragically lost in a senseless car accident in Nairobi. Messages have been pouring in from across the world as we all fail to hold back our tears at this loss.
Tajudeen led Justice Africa's work with the African Union since its early days. He combined this with his role as General Secretary of the Pan-African Movement, chairperson of the Centre for Democracy and Development, the Pan-African Development Education and Advocacy Programme, and was a fighter in the struggle to get the UN's Millennium Development Campaign to support meaningful programmes. There was hardly a pan African initiative that took place without Tajudeen's inimitable presence, support, humour and perceptive political perspectives. Quite how he managed to combine all of this with writing his weekly 'Pan African Postcard' that were published regularly in Pambazuka News and in several newspapers including The Monitor (Uganda), Weekly Trust (Nigeria), The African (Tanzania), Nairobi Star (Kenya) and the Weekly Herald (Zimbabwe), has always been a mystery to us. You could always rely on Tajudeen to draw our attention to the most significant aspects of the latest political event in Africa - just as you could rely on him to provide guidance and encouragement during hard times, restoring in us the courage for the longer struggles ahead for emancipation of the continent.
Tajudeen's departure leaves a massive hole in all our lives. We all need to grieve the loss of this giant of a man. But if his life is to mean anything, we must follow his call in the signature line of his every email - 'Don't agonise, Organise!'
From The New Vision, Kampala: Pan Africanist Tajudeen is Dead
Kampala - Dr. Raheem Tajudeen, the general secretary of the Global Pan African Movement is dead.
According to one of his best friends, Gulu LC V chairperson Norbert Mao, Tajudeen died at around 1:00 am in a motor accident while rushing to Jomo Kenyata international air port.
His flight to Rwanda had been set for 3:00 am.
He was a New Vision columnist for more than ten years. He has also been a lecturer at Makerere University.
Obituary
Dr Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem who died in a tragic car accident on his way to Jomo Kenyatta airport, Nairobi, in the early hours of 25 May was a pleasant, colourful and larger-than-life figure. Many will remember his smile and great charm and the gap in his front teeth which gave his smile a special quality.
He was more than one thing - a consummate conversationalist, a thoroughbred intellectual, a dedicated father, a comrade and a fighter for people's rights - but above all else he was the frontline carrier of the pan-Africanist banner.
History has a way of throwing up ironies. And Taju's death - on Africa Day - is one of them. Death robbed Africa of Dr. Abdul- Raheem Tajudeen Africa's famous columnist on African issues read by millions in Africa and globally in different media houses including The New Vision.
Dr. Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem, a Nigerian national, was based in Nairobi, Kenya where he was conducting his work of the all Africa Conference of Churches, one of the Campaign's key partners in the global project to promote the Millennium Developments Goals in Africa.
Gulu LC5 Norbert Mao one of his great friend says Tajudeen's death has robbed Africa of a pan African who was so resourceful.
The late joined the Millennium Campaign in March 2006 as the Deputy Director for Africa after serving as the Director of Justice Africa, a non-profit organization based in London.
Mao says his death was a big blow on the millennium Development Goals since his contributions will be missed.
Tajudeen holds Doctor of Philosophy degree from Oxford university and was appointed the General Secretary of the Pan African Movement Secretariat in Kampala, Uganda.
He was acting deputy Director Africa for United Nations Millennium campaign that meant to ensure that civil society voices continue to be hared in the global effort against poverty and injustice.
David Mafabi who worked with the late describes him as a man who was so passionate of his continent
The late was Chairperson of the Centre for Democracy and Development, based in Abuja and Lagos; and of the Pan-African Development Education and Advocacy Programme based in Kampala and Abuja.
