Arikana Chihombori-Quao

Arikana Chihombori-Quao is a Zimbabwean physician, diplomat, and activist. She served as the African Union's representative to the United States from 2016 to 2019. She is a prominent advocate of Pan-Africanism, and is outspoken about the legacy of the Berlin Conference, which she argues imposed artificial divisions on Africa whose effects persist today.

Early life Chihombori grew up in the village of Chivhu in Zimbabwe. She emigrated to the US in 1977.

Career Chihombori is a graduate of Fisk University and Meharry Medical College. She did a residency in Family Medicine at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee.

She holds a bachelor's degree in General Chemistry, a master's degree in organic chemistry, and a Doctor of Medicine degree. She graduated from Meharry Medical College of Medicine in 1986. Her specialty was family medicine.

From 2012 to 2016, Chihombori-Quao served as the Chair of the African Union-African Diaspora Health Initiative (AU-ADHI). As the chair of the AU-ADHI her work involves mobilizing Africans in the Diaspora health professionals in assisting with Africa's continental healthcare crisis.

Since 2010, Chihombori-Quao has been the International Chair of the African Union-Diaspora African Forum Americas (AU-DAF). In this capacity she advocates for Africans and friends of Africa to participate in the development of Africa.

On October 7, 2019, she received notice by letter that she was no longer ambassador for the African Union in Washington. An online petition was started for Chihombori-Quao to be reinstated. The letter, from African Union chair Moussa Faki Mahamat to Chihombori-Quao, dated October 7, 2019, was also published online.

Awards In 2015, at the African Union Summit - Chihombori-Quao received the "Women of Excellence Award". Arikana Chihombori-Quao: My mandate is to promote Africa in the Americas and more importantly, to mobilise the African diaspora - meaning all people of African descent living outside of Africa. A Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians recipient of several awards. In 1996 she was awarded achievement award by the late President Nelson Mandela of the Republic of South Africa for her contributions to Africa.