In a move to promote clean sports and fair play across the African continent, the African Union Commission (AUC) and the AU Sports Council (AUSC) in collaboration with the Republic of Ghana, and the Africa Office of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) held a high-level forum on Anti-Doping under the theme "African Games and Clean Sport towards Building the Africa We Want’ was held at the margins of the 13th edition of the African Games2023 in Accra, Ghana.

The inaugural forum is a platform for open and constructive dialogue among African sports Ministers and clean sports stakeholders including Reginal Anti-Doping Organization’s (RADO) and the National Anti-Doping Organization’s (NADO), with the aim to formulate a comprehensive regional strategy against doping in African sports to ensure a level playing field for all athletes, preserving the fairness, integrity, and spirit of sport while prioritizing the health and well-being of athletes. The forum was attended by African Sport Ministers, government officials, anti-doping stakeholders and representatives of the African Sports Movement.

Ghana's Deputy Minister of Sports, Evans Opoku Bobie, commended the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) for organizing a high-level meeting. He hailed the recent forum as a catalyst for African nations to unite behind clean sport and fair play.

 "It's crucial that we secure funding for anti-doping initiatives and adhere to international standards, including the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code." Honorable Bobie further urged Member States  lacking anti-doping legislation to comply and called for allocating resources to establish testing laboratories – a critical step in effectively combating doping,” He emphasized.

Deputy Minister Bobie acknowledged the significant challenges: "The lack of funding is a major hurdle," he explained. "Member states struggle to find resources, and establishing testing labs is expensive." This highlights the double bind African nations face – upholding international standards while securing the necessary finances. Doping scandals plague global sports, making Honorable Bobie's call to action even more critical.

In her opening address, H.E Amb. Samate Cessouma, the AUC Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development declared the AUC's firm stance against doping in sport. She emphasized its commitment to ensuring fair play and upholding the integrity of African athletes on the continental and international stage.

"The AU's newly adopted Policy Framework for the Sustainable Development of Sport in Africa (2023-2033) prioritizes clean sport," Commissioner Cessouma continued. "This framework recognizes the critical role anti-doping measures play in protecting the continent's hard-earned reputation for athletic excellence."

To effectively combat doping," Commissioner  Cessouma emphasized, "we need Member States to establish National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADOs) alongside appropriate legislative frameworks. These frameworks will guide the operations of sports development and funding institutions." She acknowledged the progress made through three Africa Anti-Doping Forums (Seychelles 2017 & 2018, Cape Town 2019) in uniting stakeholders. However, she highlighted the need to move beyond technical discussions dominated by experts. "The crucial recommendations and decisions made at this forum will be presented at the 5^th Ordinary Session of the Specialized Technical Committee on Youth Culture and Sports (STC-YCS5) to be held in 2025,”  she concluded.

Africa's representation on the WADA Foundation Board will see key transitions, reinforcing its commitment to clean sports. Botswana will take Ghana's place for the 2024-2026 term. Following that, the Democratic Republic of Congo will take over from Madagascar in 2025, Tanzania will replace Egypt in 2026, and Zambia will succeed Botswana in 2027.

WADA, established in 1999, promotes doping-free sports globally through research, education, and enforcement of the Anti-Doping Code. These changes underscore Africa's proactive role in international sports integrity.

About the African Games

The African Games is exclusively owned by the African Union and organized on behalf of its member states every 4 years and one year before the Olympics.

The African Games is a multi-disciplinary sporting event with 29 sporting and brings together sports persons from across the continent who compete in various competitions including Olympic  qualifiers. This prestigious event showcases athletic talent, celebrates African cultural values and heritage, promotes solidarity, social cohesion, and integration and promotes the values of Pan-Africanism. In addition, the African Games spotlight the importance of investment in sports as a driver of the economic development that will ensure Africa achieves the goals of Agenda 2063. ‘’The Africa We Want”

The African Union Sports Council (AUSC) is a Specialized Technical Office of the African Union Commission responsible for coordinating the organisation of the African Games on behalf of the African Union Member States and partners with continental bodies including the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) and the Association of African Sports Confederations (AASC in organising the Games.

Learn more about the mandates and statutes of the African Union Sports Council at https://au.int/en/treaties/statute-africa-sports-council

For more information contact:

Ms. Angela Martins – Ag. Director Social Development, Culture and Sports: MartinA@africa-union.org

Mr. Senior Sports Officer; African Union Commission; Augustero@africa-union.org

Janet Faith Adhiambo Ochieng | Communication Officer- Agenda 2063 | Information and Communication

Directorate | African Union Commission | E-mail: Ochiengj@Africa-union.org I Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

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