Rabat, 20 August 2019: The 12th Edition of the African Games officially opened on Monday 19 August in the presence of His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid of Morocco; H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, and H.E. Amira El Fadila, Commissioner of Social Affairs, AU Commission. Holding under the theme Creating Opportunities through Sports for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons”, the event is scheduled to take place from 19-31 August 2019 in different cities of the Kingdom of Morocco.

The colorful official opening ceremony was marked by the parade of each Member States sport teams; cultural show and African music; as well as fire works at the Moulay Abdallah Sport Complex, in Rabat.

Delivering the keynote address, the Chairperson emphasized on the significance of sport to boost the social cohesion and unity of African countries. “Our youth must find in the practice of sport and games the breeding ground for a broader training, as sport has always provide opportunity to mold characters and prepare young people for more difficult and demanding tasks”, he said.

“The games are also the field a platform for the strengthening of the cohesion and unity of our countries. By competing each other in the various duels and other sporting events, our young people broaden their horizons and size up the depth and relevance of this popular wisdom that “life is a struggle”. A struggle that educates people to avoid waiting, the search for easy solutions, a struggle to build oneself in a dignity, in work well done and above all, an ethical struggle to build a society guided by the spirit and letter of this “Africa that we want”, Chairperson underscored.

Invited to the stage by the Chairperson, His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid officiated the opening of the 12th edition of the African Games.
The African Games are a continental multi-disciplinary sports event held every four years organized by the African Union with the Association of National Olympic Committees of African, (ANOCA) and the African Sports Confederation (AASC). On this particular event more than 6,000 athletes will be competing in 26 sports disciplines, 17 of which are qualifying to the Olympic Games of Tokyo 2020.

As African Union being the owner of the African Games, handing over ceremony of the AU flag to the Kingdom of Morocco has also been held at the Rabat International University between Commissioner Amira El Fadila; and H.E. Rachid Talbi Alami, Minister of Youth and Sport, Morocco.

The two weeks long competition will be continuing with different sport activities, exhibition shows, as well as some sideline meetings inline with the theme of the 12th edition of African Games. The closing ceremony of the games will be marked on 31st August 2019 in the presence of high officials from the AUC, ANOCA, AASC and other invited gusts.

For additional information:

Lina Kessy; African Union Sport Council (AUSC); Email: ausc@africa-union.org; Tel: +255 684 911 129
Machacha Shepande; Head of Sports Division; Department of Social Affairs; African Union Commission; Email: ShepandeM@africa-union.org

Media inquiry contacts:
Molalet Tsedeke; Directorate of Information and Communication; AU Commission; Email: molalett@africa-union.org; Tel: +251 911-630631;

Yannick Kameni Ngankam; Communication Officer; Department of Social Affairs; AUC; E: mail: KameniY@africa-union.org; Tel: +251-94112 90 72

For further information contact
Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: dic@africa-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

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