In recent years, a troubling attitude has gained ground in parts of North Africa; an attitude rooted in racial and cultural isolation, where some openly claim that they are not African. This sentiment, often whispered and sometimes shouted, seeks to separate us North Africans from our continental brothers and sisters based on race, language, or colonial history. As an Egyptian and a Pan-African, I find this mindset not only intellectually dishonest, but also morally and politically dangerous.
Let us be clear: geographically, historically, and culturally, North Africa is part of Africa. Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco all sit on the African continent. But beyond maps, our histories are deeply entangled with the rest of Africa. Egypt’s ancient civilization flourished not in isolation, but through connections with Nubia, Kush, Axum, and beyond. The Nile itself is a gift that flows from Sub-Saharan Africa, linking us to Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda, and the Great Lakes region.
Yet today, some North Africans deny this identity, citing Arab heritage or Mediterranean proximity as reasons to disown Africa. Some go as far as to look down on Black Africans, treating them as inferior or “foreign.” We must call this what it is: racial prejudice, internalized colonialism, and a betrayal of Pan-African ideals.
Pan-Africanism was never about skin color. It was about solidarity among oppressed peoples on a continent exploited by imperialism. Leaders like Kwame Nkrumah and Gamal Abdel Nasser knew this. Nasser was a founding voice of the Casablanca Group, which helped birth the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in 1963. He stood shoulder to shoulder with Sub-Saharan leaders, supporting liberation struggles in Algeria, Angola, and South Africa. Would he recognize today’s racial snobbery coming from some North Africans?
Moreover, the recent rise in anti-Black violence and xenophobia in countries like Tunisia where Sub-Saharan migrants have been targeted, should shame all of us. It not only violates human rights; it dishonors our common history of resistance and shared destiny.
As Egyptians, we cannot forget our Pan-African responsibility. We sit at the heart of the African Union, we benefit from African trade and diplomatic support, and we participate in continental projects like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the African Development Bank. To enjoy the fruits of African unity while denying our African identity is hypocrisy of the highest order.
This division only serves neo-colonial interests; it weakens Africa politically and economically. Imagine a continent where Arabs, Berbers, Nubians, Amhara, Yoruba, Zulu, and Swahili speakers all see themselves as one people. That unity is not only possible, it is necessary.
Pan-Africanism is not a choice based on convenience or skin tone. It is a commitment to shared liberation, dignity, and future. To my fellow North Africans, I say: Africa is not beneath you. It is your home. Own it with pride. We are Africans, not just in geography, but in soul. Let us stand together or we will fall apart.
By Yasmin Khanifa Adel