Cabo Verde celebrated the 50th anniversary of its independence on 5 July, attracting congratulatory messages from regional and international partners. African Union Commission Chair Mahmoud Ali Youssouf hailed the milestone and praised the archipelago’s democratic record since it broke from Portuguese rule in 1975. Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Ukraine’s foreign ministry sent separate greetings to Cape Verdean Foreign Minister José Filomeno Monteiro, underscoring bilateral ties and thanking the island nation for its support in multilateral forums. European Council President Charles Michel called Cabo Verde an exemplar of the EU’s “Special Partnership,” citing joint work on climate action, blue-economy projects and renewable energy. The flurry of messages highlights the strategic and diplomatic weight the Atlantic nation of 600,000 people has acquired in West Africa and beyond.