Welcome to the witness history podcast from the BBC World Service.

Today we're telling you the story of the formation of the organisation of African unity.

In 2013, Alex Lars spoke to Dr. Barricat Habtasalassi, who took part.

It's May 1963, a first wave of decolonisation has swept through Africa

and in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, the continent's leaders gather in one place for the first time.

Their meeting to decide if their nations should now become united.

If we fail and let this grand and historic opportunity slip by, the people, the masses of the people of Africa will never forgive us.

It was a passion for African liberation and African unity because we fell to that unless Africa confronted the world with a united voice.

The exploitation would continue, the division would continue, so that was the starting point.

Dr. Barricat Habtasalassi was Ethiopia's rather young attorney general.

A supporter of pan-Africanism since the 1950s, he worked on the draft charter for the summit.

Among those arriving to attend were leaders synonymous with the struggle against colonialism.

The likes of the Ghanaian President Kwami and Krumah, the first black African leader to win independence.

Secretary from Guinea, Julius Nareri from Tanganika, Benbella fresh from Algeria's war of independence against France.

It's difficult to describe the excitement of people. They had never seen anything like it before.

These African leaders, Krumah and Nareri were wearing a sort of colorless shirt.

It became known as the Nareri shirt.

Apparently in Krumah was advised to put on a bulletproof plate because I could see stiffness in the way he moved.

It's obvious that he had been some attempt on his life.

But the most dramatic scene of it all was actually when NASA emerged from the airplane,

very charismatic tall handsome and smiling.

The entire airport exploded.

...