Addis Ababa, March 22, 2025 (FMC) — The East Africa Art and Cultural Festival is instrumental in fostering unity and people to people ties among communities of East African countries, delegation members of the festival said.
The five-day East Africa Art and Culture Festival with the East African countries’ communities’ dances and traditional music and unique artistic expressions have been performed in Addis Ababa from March 20 to 24, 2025.
Ethiopian Culture and Sport State Minister, Nafisa Al-Mahadi said that the East Africa Art and Cultural festival is an important tool for fostering unity and people to people ties while promoting cultural exchanges in communities of East African countries.
The festival has achieved its predefined objectives of cultural and trade integration among East African countries, she added; noting that various cultural delegations of East African countries are performing and showcasing their cultural arts at the festival.
The state minister emphasized that “art is a powerful instrument to promote interaction among peoples. In this respect, this festival plays a crucial role in strengthening cohesion and fraternity both at the national and regional level.”
A member of the Ugandan cultural delegation, Nantaba Esther said that she was captivated by Ethiopia’s hospitality and cultures, noting that the festival provided her an opportunity to experience the cultures of others she didn’t know before.
She added that such types of festivals are very educative as they would help foster unity, peace and exchanges of cultures of different peoples.
“I think, a festival like this one brings people together; they help to foster unity and exchanges of cultures. So, this festival promotes peace, unity and it is also educative,” she elaborated.
A member of the cultural delegation from South Sudan, Thomas Aban on his part said that he has enjoyed the festival from day one; and noted that showing and exchanging cultures is an important aspect of the festival to foster unity among communities of East African countries.
“We can show our culture of East Africa like the culture of South Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, among others; and this festival is good for us to foster our unity,” he told ENA.
Elias Thomas, a Tanzanian cultural delegation member on his part emphasized that the festival is connecting Africa especially for those who bring artifacts, pictures and handcrafts.
“It is very positive and really connects Africa especially for us who are bringing artifacts, pictures, handcrafts and wood carves. The event is a very big market opportunity and we receive some orders in different countries like Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia, Djibouti and the rest of participants,” he explained.