The Iyanola Council for the Advancement of Rastafari and Pan-African People (ICAR) has extended a warm welcome to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the Federal Republic of Nigeria ahead of his anticipated visit to Saint Lucia. The group, which has long championed the cultural and ancestral linkages between Africa and the Caribbean, described the visit as a significant occasion, especially given the historical bonds rooted in the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, ICAR highlighted the intertwined heritage between Saint Lucia and Nigerian ethnic groups such as the Yoruba and Igbo, noting that many Saint Lucians may trace their ancestry to Nigerian royalty and resistance warriors transported during the African Holocaust. The council referenced previous historic visits to the region by African leaders, including Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia in 1966 and Nelson Mandela of South Africa in the late 1990s, as symbols of African unity and empowerment. ICAR also commended the government for initiatives like the AFRIXIM Bank-funded construction at Entrepot Secondary School and advocated for the teaching of African languages in Saint Lucian schools.
However, the Council expressed concern over what it views as President Tinubu’s alignment with Western powers in opposing recent sovereignty movements by West African nations such as Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. These countries, now grouped under the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), have taken bold stances against neo-colonial influence. ICAR is urging the Saint Lucian government to clarify its position ahead of Tinubu’s arrival, questioning why OECS and CARICOM have remained silent on the AES movement—especially when they had previously taken strong positions supporting Cuba and Venezuela.
“We sincerely hope President Tinubu is not here to drum up regional support for ECOWAS’ stance against the AES, particularly Burkina Faso’s President Captain Ibrahim Traoré,” the statement read. “We call on Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre and the Minister of External Affairs to articulate Saint Lucia’s position on this issue.”
ICAR concluded its message with a renewed call for solidarity with Africa’s sovereignty movements and welcomed President Tinubu while expressing hope for genuine and balanced dialogue during his visit.
