African and Caribbean nations have formally demanded reparations and apologies from countries that benefited from the transatlantic slave trade. The call follows a three-day conference in Ghana, where leaders endorsed a 19-point reparations plan, including debt relief, restitution of looted cultural property, and the establishment of a global reparations fund.
The plan, adopted by the African Union and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Commission on Reparatory Justice, also calls for formal apologies from former slave-trading nations. Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama emphasized that while individuals cannot be held personally responsible, history demands collective responsibility. French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking virtually, acknowledged the dehumanization of enslaved people but cautioned against reducing reparations to financial compensation alone.
The UN General Assembly in March recognized transatlantic slavery as a crime against humanity, with 123 countries voting in favor. The U.S., Israel, and Argentina voted against the resolution, while 52 countries, including the U.K. and EU members, abstained.
The reparations plan does not specify which countries should provide compensation or issue apologies. It also calls for climate justice financing, expanded citizenship pathways for Africans in the diaspora, and the preservation of former slave forts as memorial sites. Advocates argue that the effects of slavery persist, with at least 12.5 million Africans forcibly transported during the transatlantic slave trade.