African Academy of Languages


The African Academy of Languages is a Pan-African organization founded in 2001 by Mali's then-president Alpha Oumar Konaré, under the auspices of the African Union, for the harmonization of Africa's many spoken languages. The first head of ACALAN was Mali's former minister of Basic Education Adama Samassekou. As 2006 was declared by the AU as the Year of African Languages, June 21 saw the inauguration of the interim Governing Board of ACALAN in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
From December 2009 until August 2015, Prof. Sozinho Francisco Matsinhe of Mozambique led ACALAN. Dr. Lang Fafa Dampha succeeded him on an acting basis and then since January 2019 with full title.